Fraternal
by Better Known as Aaliyah
Summary: Corrin- the kind and funny one. Kamui- The calm and serious one. These fraternal twins embark on a journey filled with fighting, crying, revelations and romance.. The path is neither Conquest nor Birthright, but rather the path of history. This story will have some major changes to it, and it is rated T for now.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, this is my first FE story, so don't be too harsh!**

* * *

 _"This way is the right way, Corrin. We are your blood family. We've always loved you and never gave up searching for you and Kamui!"_

 _"Do not be deceived, dear brother. They could never love you as much as we do. Come back to the ones who raised you!"_

 _"More like the ones who kidnapped you!"_

 _A white haired, red eyed man literally stood between two armies. On one side was the siblings he had known his entire life, as well as soldiers who hailed from a country that was his home: Nohr. In the arms of his oldest brother was a sleeping albino girl, with hair as white as his. On the other side of him stood four people whom he did not know- but they called out to him as if they had known him his entire life. Behind those four stood soldiers from a land foreign to him- the land known as Hoshido._

 _Corrin didn't know what was going on or why he was standing between two strong forces. All he knew was the he was tired, angry and hungry. He was hangry._

 _"C-Come home t-to us, big brother!" He heard the pink haired girl from Hoshido stutter out._

 _ **"He's my big brother!"** His blonde haired Nohrian sister shrieked madly. "Er I-I mean...big brother!" She continued in a cutesy voice. "Please come back to us!"_

 _"Don't let Kamui down, Corrin. Imagine the disappointment on her face if she finds out you betrayed us."_

 _"Lies! We'll get both you and Kamui back! Come to us, Corrin!"_

 _"Corrin, know where your loyalties lie!"_

 _"Corrin!"_

 _"Corrin!"_

 _"Leo!"_

 _"...Corrin!"_

 _"Lord Corrin!"_

"Lord Corrin, please wake up. Lord Corrin?"

Prince Corrin slowly blinked open his bleary eyes, before quickly shutting them again. He didn't know what time it was, but he did know that it was way too early. He'd much rather go back to the strange yet adventurous dream he had been having. With a low groan, he turned over onto his side and curled up into a fetus-like position. "Not now…" He grumbled.

"Looks like we'll have to use a different method." He vaguely heard a feminine voice state, before he got the shock of his life. Corrin's head suddenly felt as if a blizzard had ripped through it. With a pained cry, he shot up to a sitting position in bed, clutching his head.

"Ow ow ow ow- ah geez, what a great way to start the day!" He complained, his eyes wide open now as he sat there holding his head.

Giggles erupted from the only two females in the room. Corrin groaned.

"You guys woke me up from a really cool dream," he said, pouting a bit.

"What was it about, milord?"

"Oh uh...you guys...my siblings…ninjas.."

"Well, we're sorry milord," spoke the pink haired one with a sweatdrop. "But that was the only way we could wake you up!"

"And it seems as though it worked," added her blue haired companion.

"Felicia and Lilith, you guys...ah I can't stay mad at you two," Corrin said, taking his hands away from his head as the pain subsided. The albino bent one of his knees and placed his hands onto the bed with a sigh. "Good morning. Is there a reason why you two decided to wake me up?"

"Good morning." The girls stated in unison while bowing.

"You have training this morning with Lord Xander," answered Lilith. "He wanted us to wake you up at the crack of dawn because that's when you two will be training."

"Oh? My brother?" He scratched his head. "Not surprising. But this is way too earlyyy!" Corrin complained laying back down. "Why at the crack of dawn and not after, uhh, lunch maybe?"

"Would you like for me to use my powers to wake you up again?" Felicia asked.

"U-Uh no thanks, I'm good!" Corrin said, quickly jumping out of bed and holding up his hands. "Huh?" He looked down at the clothes he was wearing and sweatdropped. "Why am I still in my armor?"

"You fell asleep in them, milord," Lilith replied. "Felicia and I were going to clean it but we didn't want to wake you up any earlier than we needed to."

"Oh… well, I'll have to make do with this," Corrin ran a hand through his snow white hair before sighing. "I don't see the point in all this training. I mean, it seems like I'm never gonna leave this place."

"Please don't say that, Lord Corrin! You're trained so hard, and you've grown so much. Anyone would be a fool not to notice how strong you have become, milord," stated Lilith. "Besides, don't you wish to catch up to all of your siblings?"

"Hey, she's right. You said you would promise to catch up to Lady Kamui the next time you saw her! I think you're nearly there!" Felicia added.

Corrin chuckled. Leave it to his maids, and friends, to keep him from wallowing in self pity. "You two are right...as always. I guess we'd better get going before Xander gets annoyed, huh?"

"You're right about that, milord," said someone with a deep and gravelly voice. A tall man with gray hair bordering white, dressed in armor that looked as if it weighed a ton, walked into the room, with his hands behind his back. His face was blank. "You're already starting to run a little late. Put your shoes on and let's get going, milord."

"Good morning to you too, Gunter!" Corrin chirped, walking towards the tall man. "Let's go ahead and get going. Is anyone forgetting anything?"

"You still don't have on shoes, mi-"

"No? Okay let's go. Last one there's a rotten tomato!" With that, Corrin took off running down the halls with his loud laughter echoing behind him.

Gunter sighed. "What are we gonna do with him? Really, you would think that he's gotten over such childish w-"

"Gunter, don't be a rotten tomato!" Lilith called out as she and Felicia ran past his and down the hallway. However, Felicia tripped and fell, nearly knocking over a nearby vase, but managed to get back up and keep running. Gunter stared after them for a moment before chuckling a bit and walking after them.

Corrin was still laughing as he ran down the halls. The maids nearby watched him as he went and smiled to themselves, already used to his ways. Corrin had always been the most childish sibling, excluding his little sister Elise. Though Xander would constantly reprimand him on having manners, it always went through one pointy ear and out the other. Corrin was as carefree as a prince locked up in a fortress could get.

It was hard for any of the maids or servants to dislike Corrin. The albino prince had always been a very kindhearted and generous person, as he was eager to help anyone despite his status as prince. The boy was also eager to learn about every little thing- his curiosity about the world matched his brother, Leo's, obsession with tomatoes. And anytime his curiosity got him into trouble, he found that he able to worm himself out of such situations with a few well placed words.

Yes, Corrin was very outgoing and upbeat. He was very different from his twin sister..

"Is that you, Corrin?" He heard someone behind him call when he was near the doors that led outside. The prince slowed himself to a stop. He turned to see who had called for him, and almost ran into the ahem large ahem chest of a certain purple haired woman. "Camilla?" Was all he could say before the woman engulfed him in a tight hug.

"Oh Corrin, it feels as if it's been years since the last time I saw you! How long as it really been, four weeks? Well, it doesn't matter. I'm so happy that I get to see my adorable baby brother again! I've missed you so much!" Camilla gushed, squeezing him even tighter.

Poor Corrin's face was turning blue from lack of oxygen- otherwise he'd turn pink from embarrassment. His face was crushed into Camilla's breasts. Because of this, he couldn't say anything in response to her.

"Can't you see that he's losing air? You dote on him too much." Corrin heard someone state as their footsteps got closer. Camilla released Corrin and turned to the newcomer.

"Come now, Leo. We rarely get to see him as it is. Why can't I show him a little love?" She said with a slight pout, flicking strands of her purple hair behind her shoulder. Meanwhile, Corrin was on the ground gasping for air in an exaggerated fashion.

"You would think the reason why would be obvious," Leo deadpanned.

Corrin stood up, after his cheeks regained color, and smiled. "Leo! Camilla! I didn't know you guys would be here too! It's great to see you both. It's always boring without you two." _'Well..'_ He thought himself. _'It's good to see them and not die from Camilla's death hugs.'_

"It's good to see you as well, Corrin," Leo, as serious as ever, stated. "You're going the wrong way though. Your training session today is on the roof."

Corrin nearly fell over. Xander always picked the most random spots to have their battles- but why the roof of all places? At least it wasn't in that one place...like it was that one time..

"Lord Corrin!" Came the tired voice of the maid, Lilith, who came to a halt in front of the group. "It is my duty to inform you of everything- and I would like to tell you that Gunter is the rotten tomato."

Camilla and Leo looked confused as Lilith bowed to them both. Corrin, however, laughed.

"Where are they?" Corrin asked.

"Felicia-"

"Stop. You don't have to utter another word," Corrin said, knowing that Felicia had most likely made another mess and that Gunter was probably forced to help clean it up. "Let's just get moving before Xander gets more annoyed than he already most likely is. They'll catch up."

With that said, the group began the walk towards the roof… because Xander logic.

* * *

"HAAAH!"

The sound of metal clanking against metal resonated through the air. Camilla and Leo watched the battle between their siblings, one with concern on her features while the other held a look of boredom. The two men continued to exchange blows- well, it was more like Xander landed hits on Corrin while Corrin tried to keep up his defense.

"HUWAH!" Xander yelled as he grazed Corrin's shoulder, to which Camilla yelled for him to be careful. "You've got to do better than that, little prince. I know you have it in you."

Corrin ignored his shoulder wound and chose to sigh. "I'm trying my best, Xander." _'Besides, you're on a horse. A damn horse!'_

"That shoulder wound simply won't due," Xander frowned. "I'm sure you sense it..a dragon vein nearby. Go ahead and heal that shoulder of yours up."

"A dragon vein? Hmm, I have been sensing something strange all this time.." Corrin looked around. "Where could it be?" He took a few steps around, before tripping over absolutely nothing and landing on his face. This apparently triggered the dragon vein, as the area around him glowed blue. His arm injury instantly began to heal itself. Corrin sweatdropped. "That's one way to find it.."

"Don't give me such a look of defeat. I'm training you so that you'll be able to-"

"Defend against our enemies, the bloody Hoshidian bastards. I know, I know," Corrin interrupted, standing to his feet. "Tell me something I don't know.."

"Well, father has been tracking your progress..and he says that if you can't land a single hit on me, you're doomed to never leave this fortress," Xander replied.

"Doesn't he always say that?" Corrin grumbled.

"Yes...well he also said… you'll have to wear shoes if you can't land a hit on me today!"

"He said _what_?!"

"Are you motivated now?" Xander said. "Well, then use that anger to win this battle. With that anger, you'll be able to launch yourself into battle with no regrets. I believe that someday, you can become the greatest Nohrian warrior. You certainly have the potential for it. Corrin, you could lead this kingdom, shrouded in darkness for so long, into the light! You can conquer anything you set your mind to with an attitude lik-"

"HAAAH!" Corrin took Xander and his horse by surprise by swinging at them with his sword. The horse whinnied and Xander fell to the ground. Corrin pointed his sword at Xander with a completely serious look on his face. "I'll never wear shoes! I promise!" He declared, proudly for some reason.

"Looks like you got me, little prince," Xander admitted, smiling a bit. The man stood up. "You've improved."

"Hey! Nice job, big brother! That was amazing!" A short girl with blonde hair in two pigtails yelled, running up to the group. She tackled Corrin to the ground in a tight hug, causing him to drop his sword. "You deserve the biggest hug in the world!"

"It's nice...to see... you too… Elise," Corrin said, trying to catch his breath after having the wind knocked out of him. _'Still a better hug than Camilla.'_ He thought to himself.

"Do you need any healing? I can heal you in seconds, just say the word!" Elise declared.

"Nah, I'm fine," he replied, patting the spot where his arm wound once was.

"Did you guys tell him the good news?" Elise looked at her siblings expectantly.

"We were just getting to that part, dear," Camilla replied. "Corrin, we have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" Corrin said curiously, pushing himself up from off the ground as Elise stood up.

"Yes, a surprise," Camilla grinned. "You-"

"Camilla, let me tell him!" Elise whined.

"As the eldest brother, I should be the one to tell him the good news," said Xander.

" **No I should**!" Elise growled demonically, which caused everyone to look at her. The petite blonde blinked. "I-I mean, I wanna tell him! Pretty please with cherries on top?"

"You always get to tell the good news, darling," Camilla pointed out.

"Are we just going to overlook Elise's character change?" Corrin questioned.

"Corrin, you're coming with us to the capital under Father's orders," Leo boredly stated, flipping a page in some book he was reading.

"What? Are you serious?!" Corrin asked, shocked.

"Leo you always spoil the fun!" Elise complained, stomping her foot.

"I spoil nothing. Especially not tomatoes, " he swiftly replied.

"No one said anything about tomatoes!"

While Xander tried to calm Elise and Leo, Corrin stood there with a look of excitement on his face. All those times in which he had wanted to step outside the fortress, but could never do it- now was finally his chance! He had heard so much about the kingdom he lived in, as well as the world around him. The albino was eager to explore every inch of it with his two bare feet. And most importantly..

 _'I can finally catch up to you...Kamui!_ '

* * *

 **A/N: Hey guys, I'll try to make this quick. As you can see, I've made a lot of changes to this first chapter. First of all, I cut Corrin's dream short- in fact I cut a lot of character appearances short. I think by now we all know how the prologue goes down, and I wanted to make it more interesting. Secondly, Flora has been replaced by Lilith in this chapter and Jakob is nowhere to be seen- worry not! They will appear. In this story, some characters will appear at different times from which they appear in the canon version. Some characters also have a few tweaks to their personalities, haha. Anyhow, I would like to ask for you guys, the reviewers, opinions on who Corrin should end up with or if he should just stay single? I already have an idea for Kamui. So please leave me a review, please please please leave a review telling me what you think of it so far! Thanks for reading, see ya around. Just to be clear, my update schedule is crazy.**


	2. FE Fates: Not Prologue

"Lord Corrin!"

"Hm?" As Corrin was walking with his siblings, with a little more pep in his step than usual, he heard someone call his name. He and his siblings turned to see Lilith and the clumsy Felicia walking towards them.

"Oh, Lilith and Felicia!" Corrin smiled. "I'm glad you guys are here."

"We're happy to see you as well, Lord Corrin!" Felicia said with a slight giggle. "Congratulations on finally being able to leave the capital! Lilith and I will be accompanying you and your siblings on the trip."

"Yes, Gunter wanted us to come with you to look after your horses," added Lilith.

"That's great! I'm sure you guys were tired of being in this fortress for so long too. I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun exploring this world!" Corrin cheerily replied.

"Corrin.." Camilla lowered her eyes.

"I bet you there's so many amazing, different people to meet! There's probably so many different places to go too! Not to mention all the different foods! My mouth is watering just thinking of the endless possibilities!"

"Ooh, me too!" Elise grinned. "I can't wait to show you the different foods! Remember those cookies I snuck to you last time? They weren't even made here in Nohr!"

"Woaa, really? That's amazing! And they were so good too!" Corrin exclaimed.

"What's this about you sneaking something?" Leo glanced at Elise, and she stuck her tongue out at him. "Stealing is unbefitting of a princess. Just when are you going to act your age?"

"It was just some cookies! Lighten up Leo!"

"Yeah Leo, lighten up!" Corrin echoed. "Err...by the way Leo..I guess you didn't notice but..your collar is on the wrong way."

"W-What?!" Leo looked at his outfit and blushed at the fact that the collar was, indeed, on incorrectly. He grimaced as Elise loudly laughed. "I-It's not on wrong. This is just a new trend is all. Everyone's doing it!"

While Corrin rambled on, Camilla and Xander gave each other hidden glances. Xander, keeping up his usual blank face, was inwardly worried. He had almost forgotten that Corrin didn't know the true horrors of the world. ' _Corrin..'_ He thought to himself. ' _You're so naive. Was it a mistake to keep you locked away for so long? Should we have told you more about the world? We only gave you little hints warnings.'_ As his little brother continued to excitedly talk, Xander couldn't help but feel a shiver run up his spine. ' _My little prince…your innocence might just shatter.'_ The blonde haired prince turned to the maids. "Lilith, are the horses ready yet?"

"Yes milord, they're packed and ready," she answered. "They even seem to be excited. I suppose they're all very fond of Lord Corrin."

"Ah it makes sense for even animals to love my dear Corrin," said Camilla, placing a hand on her chest. "After all, he has a very kindhearted soul. Why, I remember when, years ago, he rescued a baby bird and nursed her back to health!"

Lilith nervously laughed. _'That totally wasn't me,'_ Lilith thought to herself. _'Just act natural and no one will noti-'_

 _'Woooah, where am I?'_ Another voice entered her thoughts, catching her by surprise.

 _'...Felicia?'_

 _'Lilith?'_

 _'...We will not speak about this.'_

"Lilith? Are you okay?" Corrin asked.

"Huh? Oh I'm perfectly fine, there's no need to even question it! Really, there's nothing wrong!" She nervously replied.

"...Mkay."

"I believe the time for talk will come later. We shouldn't keep father waiting for any longer," Xander stated.

"You're right. Guys, let's go!" Corrin excitedly stated.

While the siblings walked towards the horses, with Felicia in tow, Gunter grabbed Lilith by the arm and pulled her from the group. She looked up at him with confusion.

"Lilith, excuse my roughness," Gunter began, letting go of her arm. "But I'm sure you've heard the rumors?" He lowered his voice. "The rumors of the Ice Tribe rebellion?"

Lilith's face grew serious. "Yes, the maids just can't keep their mouths closed about it. They always talk about it, though they are mindful of Corrin and Felicia."

"Well, we must keep our guard up. I've heard of travelers having everything stolen from them by Ice Tribe activists. They're everywhere. And as you know, Felicia is apart of of the Ice Tribe. While I don't suspect that she's apart, or even knows of the rebellion, she might not wish to lay a hand on her own blood. So we must be on our highest alert. Is that understood? "

"Yes, of course," Lilith replied with a nod of her head.

"Gunter! Lilith! Let's go!" Corrin called.

"Yes milord!" They both replied, making their way towards the group.

* * *

The group was only two days away from reaching their destination. At Camilla's suggestion, they stopped to rest in the woods close to a nearby, small, village. Xander, Camilla and Leo went into the village to purchase more water and food while Gunter, Elise, Lilith, Felicia and Corrin stayed on the outskirts of the village.

"Wow, it sure does feel nice to be outside that fortress!" Corrin said, looking up at the always dark sky. There was thousands of stars in sight. "It feels great actually! The air even smells a lot better. It's… refreshing!"

"The moment would be even better if you actually wore shoes," Gunter said.

"I made a promise to myself that I'd never wear shoes! I have to keep my promises, Gunter. You of all people should know this!"

"...Right," Gunter deadpanned.

Elise yawned. "I'm kind of tired. When will they get back? I'm so sleepy and hungryyyy." The petite princess leaned on Lilith, who gently patted her head with a closed eyed smile.

"Please be a little more patient, milady. They'll be back soon," Lilith said.

"I hope they hurry. It's starting to get really cold," Corrin rubbed his shoulders.

"It's because you don't have on shoes," Felicia joked, causing Corrin to childishly stick his tongue out at her.

"Actually, I also feel that the temperature has lowered," said Lilith.

Elise wrapped her arms around Lilith. "Hey, me too! It was nice just a moment ago! Now I really hope they get back soon, or we'll freeze to death!"

"Heh. Well, that is the point.." A mysterious voice called out to them. Instantly, Gunter, Felicia and Lillith were on their guard. The trio made a circle around Corrin and Elise who looked around in confusion.

"Who goes there?" Gunter called out.

"Guess we've been caught." Out from the bushes sprang four people, two females and two males, each dressed in blue and black coats. All of them were wearing hoods, so their faces were hidden from sight. "No matter. It was bound to happen sooner or later. "

Gunter withdrew his sword, and nodded his head towards Lilith. The blue and red haired female withdrew a few knives. She was no fighter, admittedly, but she would do her best to protect Lord Corrin even if it meant giving up her life. Felicia, too, got into a defensive stance. Corrin watched on in confusion, while Elise tightly clinged to him.

"Who are you people?" Corrin called out.

"Introductions are pointless," spoke the apparent leader of the group, a tall male. "You're going to die anyways."

"Just hold on a minute!" Corrin, gently freeing himself from Elise's hold, took one step towards them. He recognized this moment as his chance to bring light to the darker parts of the world his siblings sometimes told him about. Corrin didn't believe anyone was too cruel to be turned good. Gunter, Felicia and Lillith stayed close. "There's no need for violence when we can solve this peacefully. Let's all put down the sharp thingies and be calm about all this, huh?" Corrin gave the enemies a closed eyed smile.

The leader didn't say anything for a moment, only opting to slowly put away his weapons. His cronies followed suit, as did Gunter, Felicia and Lillith. Corrin took this as his opportunity to step closer to the group. He walked past his friends and stood in front of the mysterious group. Outstretching his hand, with the same smile on his face, he said, "Why don't we all just try to get along?"

The leader began to slowly outreach his hand. Corrin inwardly cheered. _'I knew the world wasn't as bad a place as Xander sometimes made it out to be! We can resolve everything if everyone is calm an-'_ Before he was even able to finish his thoughts, Corrin was swiped at by the leader of the group. Gasping in pain, he clutched his cut hand and stepped back. Gunter quickly rushed forward and took a swipe at the leader- the man dodged the attack by jumping back.

"You fiend," Gunter growled as Elise, Felicia and Lillith rushed forward.

"Man, that kid is incredibly naive," The leader stated with a slight laugh, pointing at Corrin. The albino male's hand was being tended to by Elise. Corrin stood there in slight shock.

"Doesn't he know to never trust a stranger?" One of the cronies snickered. "Seriously, he's as dense as a wall."

"Unfortunately you will have to pay for such an ignorant act. Striking a prince is a crime punishable by death," Gunter got into an offensive position, as did Lilith and Felicia. The leader of the gang laughed as he and his group also took on offensive stances.

"That kid is a prince? If that's the case, I guess I must be the king of Nohr," the leader sneered. "Actually I think I'd like that. I'd be a much better ruler than that bastard, Garon."

"Leave my father out of this you jerks!" Elise cried, momentarily stopping her treatment of Corrin to glare at them. "You're just a bunch of dirty, rotten thieves!"

"Please say it again, beautiful. I love hearing those words come from the mouth of a bitch who's never known the true meaning of a struggle, especially when you have whack ass body guards for friends," The leader replied.

Gunter angrily slashed at the man, catching him by surprise. He let out a surprised cry, and held on to his arm. "Don't think you're dealing with any old rookie," Gunter snarled. "War and I go way back."

"You've really done it now, gramps," the leader growled. The groups took menacing steps towards each other, ready to attack at any moment.

Before anyone had the chance to attack, however, a loud cry of "Stop!" halted everyone in their tracks. From the trees sprang yet another hooded figure, dressed in all black. The figure gracefully landed between the two groups. The figure slowly stood and glanced at the group of bandits.

"Do not attack them," the hooded figure stated, the voice sounding very feminine. "They are crucial to the plan, and the plan isn't to be enacted at this very moment."

The group of bandits grudgingly seemed to understand- without another word, the group took off running, including the new hooded figure, into the woods. Gunter made to rush after them, but was halted by the sound of more foot steps. Xander, Camilla and Leo were approaching the group and quickly.

"There's no need to run after them," Leo called as the older siblings made their way to the group. "I already have it under control."

* * *

 **A/N: Hello again everyone! Thank you to everyone who reviewed and favorited! As you can see, once again major changes have been made to the story. It's all apart of the plan to make Fates great again! Haha. But anyhow, I'm sorry that this chapter may seem rather lacking- at least it seems that way to me. But this was the best way I could write it, at least for now. The next chapter will be better- I think. I also just want to apologize if anyone feels the humor is kind of dry. This story is going to get really serious at some points, but I want it to have it's light hearted moments as well. Please stay tuned for the rest of the story, it's definitely going to be a long and wild journey! Oh, and to my guest reviewer I would love to talk with you! I really appreciate the feedback you gave me haha.**


	3. Castle Krakenberg

The albino prince of Nohr sat inside a carriage across from Elise. The carriage was being pulled by two horses, with Felicia in control. Leo and Camilla sat in another one, which was being controlled by Lilith. The last carriage was for Xander, and it was pulled by Gunter himself. For the first time since they began their trek to the castle, the carriages were all quiet. Not even the usually chatty and bipolar Elise could brighten the mood. The only noise that could be heard was the sound of the hooves of their horses as they made their way along the path. Corrin, while tightly holding on to his injured hand, stared at a random spot on the floor of the carriage as he recalled the events that had unfolded only moments ago….

 _"There's no need to run after them. I have everything under control," Leo stated as he, Xander and Camilla approached the group. "I've sent a retainer of mine to handle that business."_

 _"Leo! Camilla! Xander!" Elise cried, running towards her siblings. "I'm so glad you all are here!" She buried her head in Xander's chest. The oldest prince patted her head._

 _"It is good to know that you and Corrin are alright," Xander said before turning to Gunter, Lilith and Felicia. "It is to my utmost relief that you were here to protect them."_

 _"It is our pleasure, milord," Gunter spoke for them._

 _Meanwhile, Camilla had quickly enveloped Corrin into a tight hug._

 _"My poor little brother! You and Elise, had to face some real jerks! It must have been so very scary. It's okay, your big sister is here now. I'll take extra special care of you. No one lays a finger on my precious siblings and gets away with it. I'd skewer them before they'd even get the chance. Oh Corrin!" She gushed, hugging him tighter. However, Corrin was not responding in his usual over exaggerated way. The albino just stood there, motionless. This worried the busty purple haired woman. She pulled away from him, but kept her hands on his shoulders. "Corrin? Dear, whatever is the matter?"_

 _Corrin kept his head down. His snow white bangs covered his eyes. For what seemed like forever, he kept quiet. Then he pushed away from Camilla and took a few steps backwards. He had the attention of everyone when he finally spoke. "You would….skewer them.." He slowly spoke. He balled his fists and looked up at her, with a bit of anger in his eyes. "As if they weren't humans?!"_

 _Camilla was shocked by his outburst. "Corrin-"_

 _He clutched his head. "I don't understand. Why did...did that man, he...he cut me!" He took his injured hand away from his head and stared at it. They were just about to make peace, weren't they? Why did that man feel the need to lunge at him? "He cut me, and laughed about it...and then...but you.. you would also have no trouble hurting someone and laughing about it? What? I don't… I'm not…"_

 _"Corrin, sweetie, I wouldn't harm anyone just because. I would harm someone for hurting you," Camilla replied, still surprised._

 _"You would harm him for him harming me? But what would that accomplish? Why did he harm me in the first place?" Corrin asked, still staring at his injury. He had confused himself, the word 'harm' had been used too many times in one sentence._

 _Xander took this moment to speak. Stepping forward, he pushed past Camilla and placed a hand on to Corrin's shoulder. "Little prince," he began. "I have told you countless times that the world is not rainbows and sunshine. There are people who exist in this world who want to do you more harm than good. You just got a little taste of the stories I've so often told you about. Now you understand, don't you?"_

 _"But I don't see why we have to continue the cycle of harming others. W-Whats the point in-"_

 _"Corrin, now is not the time to discuss this," Leo cut in. "We are behind as it is. I told you, as did Xander, that you will have to have a tough shell. Don't you remember all those training sessions? They have been-"_

 _"In preparation for the fight against the nasty Hoshidians. Right," Corrin monotonously replied._

 _"Then you understand what has to be done about those traitors? Good. Now we must be on our way," Xander, without waiting for a reply from Corrin, turned and nodded his head to Gunter, who in turn expectantly looked at Felicia and Lilith. The two girls began to gather the items bought by the siblings, and readied the horses. The siblings quietly climbed into their respective carriages and continued the journey to the palace..._

Corrin continued to stare at the random spot on the floor. He couldn't wrap his mind around what had just happened. He had never been purposely harmed before- he had always been surrounded by people who were kind and cherished him. The only injuries he had ever obtained were from his own mistakes, or from Felicia's clumsiness. True, his siblings, mainly Xander, warned him of the dangers of the world, but Corrin had always thought his words were that of a tall tale, or just things to scare him into being nice to everyone. Even when Xander spoke of the war with Hoshido, Corrin had never exactly taken it seriously. Now that he actually thought about it, he wondered if there were worse things people had done. Was the war more horrific than he originally thought? Just what kind of challenges were his siblings really facing? What else was out there in the world, waiting for him?

Corrin would never say this aloud to his siblings, but after this experience he had become a bit afraid. He was afraid and confused. The prince could see that there were rotten people in the world- however, he didn't understand why. Why did that man cut him? Why did that man call Elise out of her name? Why did Camilla feel so compelled to go after the man and his cronies, and harm them, as if it would solve anything? He placed his hands onto his head once again. A headache was beginning to set in- it had been such a long journey, and they hadn't even reached the castle yet. Just what else was in store?

* * *

Corrin? Corriiiin? Hmm?"

"Not now…go away.." Corrin mumbled, trying to go back to sleep.

"Corrin, please? …. **Corrin wake up!"**

"AGH!" Corrin yelped and instantly sat up.

Pretty blue eyes stared down at him, unblinkingly. Her twin pigtails rustled as a childish giggle escaped her lips. "Come on big brother! It's time to get up!"

Corrin rubbed his red eyes open, trying to gather his bearings. "Time to get up?"

"Yeah! It's time to say hello to father! We've finally reached the castle! And Kamui is here too!" Elise excitedly chirped.

Corrin was instantly wide awake. "What? We're here? Kamui?! Why didn't you tell me sooner, Elise?!" He, gently, pushed past her and made his way out of the carriage. When his feet touched the ground, he looked at his surroundings. To be truthful, the outside wasn't that much different from the fortress- the sky was still coated with a sheet of darkness. The ground was still a bit rough and rouged, and there was still a gloomy feeling to it. However, Corrin's mouth hung wide open at the sight of the castle- it was huge! It was much bigger than his fortress, which he had always thought was pretty big. The albino only recalled ever coming to the castle when he was much younger- he didn't remember it being so big. Then again, there were a lot of things he didn't remember about his past.

"I tried to tell you, but you weren't waking up!" Elise interrupted his thoughts as she exited from the carriage.

"Ahaha...sorry," he apologized sheepishly.

"It has been a very long journey. Corrin, Elise let's go," Xander stated as he, Camilla and Leo exited their carriages as well. Corrin noticed that Camilla wasn't looking at him, and instantly felt guilty. Maybe he had been too harsh with his words? He didn't mean to be rude, he just didn't understand the situation. Maybe Camilla was in the right, maybe she deserved to go after the bandits? Corrin didn't exactly understand what was right or wrong about the situation, but he knew apologizing to Camilla for yelling at her was the right thing to do. As the siblings made their way through the large bridge that connected to the castle, Corrin walked next to Camilla and quietly began a conversation with her.

"H-Hey Camilla," he began. "I'm really sorry about...you know. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. Please don't be mad at me.."

Camilla turned to him and gave him a large smile, which surprised him. "Oh Corrin! Darling, I can never stay mad at you. Why, you're just too precious! I apologize for confusing you dear."

Corrin smiled back. "Apology accepted!" He said cheerfully.

Camilla hugged him, yet again pressing his face into her chest. "I'm so happy that we made up. I can't stand it when anyone of my adorable siblings are mad at me, especially you Corrin!"

"Yay, we're all a family again!" Elise cried cheerfully, clapping her hands.

"Camilla, you're choking him," Leo calmly stated from up ahead, as Corrin's face began to turn blue from a lack of oxygen. "Again."

"Whoops!" Camilla let go of him and grinned.

After Corrin had gathered his bearings, he found himself outside the doors to one of the many rooms inside the castle. Xander knocked on the door.

"Father, we have arrived," he called. Corrin was beginning to feel more and more excited- he wondered if this was all just a crazy dream.

"Enter." A voice stated from behind the doors. Xander pushed open the door, and all the siblings and servants stepped inside, Corrin being the last to enter. What he saw made his heart beat faster.

King Garon, his father, stood at the top of some steps with his arms at his side. He looked as if he were agitated, but didn't he always look like that? Corrin couldn't recall a time in which his father didn't have such a grumpy look on his face. Standing at the bottom of the stairs, facing her siblings, was Corrin's twin sister Kamui. Corrin almost did a double take when he saw her. It had been nearly a year since he was last able to speak to his twin, and she looked as if she had matured so much in that time. Her hair was snow white, and spilled across her shoulders and down her back in waves. Her bangs were held up by a shiny black headband. She was taller than he had remembered- then again, so was he and they were twins. Her eyes were closed, as if she were deep in thought or even sleeping, and her hands were clasped together in front of her. The albino girl was also wearing a short, basic white dress and no shoes.

To the right of Kamui stood a man Corrin knew he could never forget, for he was so serious about his duties that it made him laugh at times- Jakob. He had his hands behind his back, and was wearing the same blank expression he always wore. To the left of Kamui was another person Corrin knew all too well. Flora held the same blank face as Jakob, and her hands were also behind her back. It was a wonder that Flora and Felicia were related- Flora carried herself with such elegance and grace, while Felicia was clumsy and a bit sloppy. They were very opposite, much like Corrin and his sister.

"Kamui! I'm so glad I get to see you again!" Corrin exclaimed and with a smile, he took a few steps forward. He was stopped by Xander's hand on his shoulder. Corrin glanced at him, wondering why he stopped him but Xander only stared ahead at his father. And when Kamui didn't give any indication that she heard him, Corrin looked on in confusion. Was she really asleep? And in father's presence no less? 'She must be really tired to fall asleep while standing up!' He thought to himself.

King Garon cleared his throat, and all eyes were on him. Corrin didn't know why, but all of a sudden the room felt...tense. He listened as Garon opened his mouth to speak.

"I see that you arrived here safely….Corrin."

Strange. It was almost as if the king had forgotten his name. But this was his father, why would his own flesh and blood forget his own name? Corrin banished the thought.

"Yes, father. I've long awaited this moment….to be able to see you, Castle Krakenberg, and Kamui once again," Corrin was mentally proud of himself. Not once did his voice waver.

Garon grunted, his facial expression unchanging. He ignored Corrin's words and continued to speak. "I've been told that you've become an excellent warrior, one almost on par with Xander. I believe that you finally possess the strength to become the perfect instrument of Nohr's power in the world."

The perfect instrument? Like some type of tool? Corrin wasn't too sure of what Garon meant by that.

"But father, is Corrin gonna be okay outside the fortress?" Elise cut in.

"I am also worried about that. Isn't it a bit dangerous for Corrin to leave outside the magical barrier of the fortress?" Camilla added.

Corrin opened his mouth to speak, but Garon beat him to it.

"If Kamui can survive outside the barrier, Corrin can as well. He needs to gain experience somehow- he can't always train with Xander. With that being said, do not question my authority ever again. Know your place, the both of you." Garon's tone became more threatening with those last words- Corrin had never seen Camilla and Elise close their mouths so fast. Even Leo stood stiffer than usual.

"Corrin, as I'm sure you're well aware of, Nohr is at war with Hoshido," Garon continued talking as if nothing had happened. We, of the royal family, are descendents of the ancient gods, the first Dragons. As inheritors of that divine strength, we conquer those who oppose us with ease. One who learns to wield that power can destroy an entire army of common troops. Xander, Camilla and Leo are all powerful already. And Kamui, for another example, has all but mastered this power. You do know of her abilities, correct?"

"Yes father." Corrin knew all too well the special abilities Kamui possessed. Unlike the rest of the family, Kamui could do more with the ancient dragon strength that runs through her veins. At a young age, it was discovered that Kamui had superhuman strength. She could create craters in the ground with just the stomp of her foot. Her fists packed a punch as powerful as a bunch of rocks. She could even create tough scales on her legs and arms to guard herself, which was why she rarely ever wore armor. Corrin recalled that with this power came great fatigue- Kamui's stamina wasn't always the best. He wondered if she had improved on that since he had last seen her.

"Then you know that I have high expectations for you." Garon stated.

"Yes, father. I have been training with my siblings in the hopes that I could become as strong as them."

"Hmph. You need a suitable weapon." All of a sudden, a dark, glowing sword appeared in front of Garon. With a wave of his fingers, the sword flew towards Corrin. The albino prince gazed at it in awe. "Take this sword- it is called Ganglari. It is infused with the magic of another world."

Corrin excitedly grabbed the sword. "Wow, my first real weapon! Cool! Err..I mean, thank you father."

"It's good that you like it." Garon's lips curled up into an almost smile. "Guards! Bring out the prisoners!"

* * *

 **Hello everyone! I know I'm reallly late on updating..I'm real sorry. I hope that people are still interested in this story, because I'm set on completing it! As for when I will next update...only time will tell. Please leave a review, telling me what you think. Also sorry if the ending seemed a bit rushed, but I feel the need to speed up the story a bit. Thank you!**


	4. The Prisoners

"The prisoners?"

Corrin heard footsteps and turned around in confusion. In marched a pair of guards, alongside three men and a woman. One man stood out to Corrin. He wore a face of steel, and it was clear to Corrin that he must be some type of warrior. He had strange, green hair and worse for wear clothing. Corrin supposed he couldn't talk about strange hair colors, since his was basically white. The strangest thing about this man was the fact that Corrin felt as though he had seen him before. The woman was showing more facial expressions. She was scowling, and had her arms crossed under her bust. Although her choice of clothing was different from the man's, it still looked torn in certain places. They were obviously prisoners, just without chains for some reason.

"These two are our most recent prisoners. They were caught while we were in a skirmish with Hoshidian forces," Garon explained, his face once again stone cold.

These were the Hoshidians? Corrin stared at them, and they stared back. From what he had heard, they were all foul, villainous beasts. But these two looked like, well, normal humans to him.

"What is it that you wish for me to do, father?" He asked.

"Fight them. I wish to see your strength with my own two eyes," Garon stated.

Corrin inwardly frowned. More fighting? He was just gonna have to get used to it. He would put up a good fight if it meant impressing his father. Garon sat back down on his throne, while Corrin's siblings stayed back to watch. He could tell without even looking that Camilla was worried for him. But he wasn't gonna let himself be babied forever.

"Milord."

Suddenly Gunter and Felicia were by his side, with weapons of their own drawn. And for some reason...Gunter was on a horse?

"I am here to join you, milord. My lance arm may be rusty, but it should still suffice," Gunter stated. "Felicia? Will you also be joining?"

"Of course! I can be a good bodyguard too!" Felicia replied cheerily.

Corrin sweatdropped. Felicia was as clumsy as they come. And was Gunter really about to help him fight these prisoners while on top of a horse? What was with these people and horses? He supposed he'd just have to trust them, as he always has. With that in mind, Corrin gripped his sword and faced his first opponents: the female and one of the male prisoners. Gunter and Felicia were tasked with facing the other two men.

The woman scrunched up her face before speaking. "I am Rinkah, daughter of the flame tribe's honorable chieftain. What is your name?"

"My name is Corrin...uhh err Prince Corrin, that is. If you wanna be technical...but you can just call me Corrin for short. Well Corrin isn't short for anything. I just.."

As Corrin continued to babble on, the green haired man raised an eyebrow having overhears their conversation. ' _Corrin? Could it be…'_ The ninja decided to shake these thoughts. It was time to focus on the battle.

* * *

"We won!" Corrin put his fists in the air. There was something about that battle that made him feel stronger- as if he had gained some more skill, more experience.

"They were really tough to beat too! I wonder if all of them are like this!" He stepped away from the prisoners on the ground and beamed at Felicia and Gunter, but was surprised when they didn't return the happy gesture. Then he heard loud clapping, and turned to see that it was Garon. He had an odd smile on his face, one that made Corrin feel uncomfortable.

"So this is how it ends…" He heard the green haired ninja whisper. Now he was really confused.

"I see why Xander praised you. It seems aa though you have gotten much better with a sword. Your also have a lot of stamina, which is necessary in long battles," Garon stated, causing Corrin to instantly smile brighter. Finally, his father was praising him. Maybe now he could get rid of all previous doubts about his relationship with his father. Corrin knew that deep down inside, Garon loved Corrin as any father would love their son.

"But I see that you lack common sense. Not surprising," Garon coldly stated, causing Corrin to tense up and for the smile on his face to drop. "Do you know nothing of war? Kill them before they kill you."

Kill them? He must not have heard his father correctly. Not only had he raised Corrin's hopes only to bring them down, but he also expected him to murder these people?

"Father...but they're already beaten. Why hurt them anymore than I already have?"

Garon's face grew dark. "How dare you question anything I command, boy? I am ordering you to kill them!"

If there was one thing Corrin wanted, more than anything else, it was to be respected and loved by his father. Every time they were near each other, it was as if Garon had some type of distaste for him. Corrin never knew why, but figured that maybe if he did enough to impress him he'd finally say 'I love you.' But Corrin just knew that if he followed his father's orders, it wouldn't sit well with him for the rest of his life. The albino knew that he didn't have much experience with the outside world, but something told him that killing these prisoners would be wrong. So he faced his father, squared his shoulders, and spoke.

"No. I refuse to kill any of these people."

For a moment, the room was quiet. It was incredibly tense, and it was making Corrin sweat. Not even Camilla had uttered a word. His confidence was wavering. Maybe he should have said no in a nicer way? But then Garon did something Corrin had rarely ever seen him do: he smirked. As soon as that smirk came, it was gone- as if it had never been there in the first place. Corrin wondered if he had seen it correctly. What he did next, however, horrified Corrin.

"If you refuse to do it, then so be it." With that being said, Garon raised his gloved hand. Instantly a flash of golden light surrounded the king. Corrin recognized this as magic. The king proceeded to catch one of the prisoners on fire. The poor man shrieked in pain, but it was short lived- he instantly perished. Corrin's red eyes were now wide in shock. The albino prince nearly shook in fear- did that really just happen? Did his father just murder someone in cold blood?

"Good god…" Corrin whispered to himself. Was this what they did to other human beings? Play with them as if they were toys, break them and then throw them away? It was absolutely foul. Thousands of thoughts were running through his mind; he was more confused than he'd ever been before. His body didn't feel as if it were his own. Maybe that's why when Garon prepared another strike, towards the green haired man, Corrin ran in front of him and blocked the attack using his sword.

"Corrin! What are you doing?!" Elise cried, worry all over her features. Truthfully Corrin didn't really have an answer to her question. What was he doing?

"You would dare to oppose me, Corrin?" Garon more so stated than asked. The man looked as if he were preparing another attack, but Xander cut in.

"Father wait! Corrin does not yet understand the situation! Allow me to be the executor," Xander said, to which Garon gave an angry, but firm, nod of approval. Xander walked towards Corrin and the prisoners, his grip on his legendary sword tight.

"Listen, little prince. You must move out of the way. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Sorry Xander….but I can't move." Corrin replied. The brothers stared each other in the eye for what felt like hours.

"Dear god, please have mercy on my adorable baby brother," Camilla whispered to herself.

"Leo!" Elise turned to her brother, scared out of her mind. "What are we gonna do? What are you gonna do? Do something!"

"There you go again demanding things," Leo sighed. "Of course this task falls to me. Troublesome siblings…" And with just a wave of his hand, the prisoners had disappeared. Corrin and Xander faced Leo in surprise. "Father, I've killed the prisoners. My only request is that you're merciful towards the ever so naive Corrin."

Garon stared at Leo for a good moment, before his lips curled in a sneer. "Enough of this foolishness. I will decide later." And with that, the King marched off.

Corrin couldn't believe what had just transpired. Really, he was having a hard time believing this wasn't just some wild dream. After Garon had left, along with the guards on Xander's orders, Corrin turned to Leo.

"Why did you do that? Are you out of your mind? They were already beaten, Leo! That was just cruel! How would you feel if the situation were reversed? What if you were one of those prisoners, huh? Would you really want your life to end there?"

"If you would calm down, I can explain to you what actually happen. The prisoners aren't dead. I just weakened them and sent them somewhere else," Leo calmly replied.

"...Oh. Thank you, Leo. I'm sorry for teasing you about your collar. Which is still not on correctly."

"How about you just stop mentioning it?!"

"Corriiiin!" Elise hugged her brother tightly. "You were so brave! I was really scared for you!"

"Yes, you pulled quite the stunt dear brother," Camilla said, a hand on her chest. "You even gave me a scare."

"I'm sorry everyone. I didn't mean to be so rash. I just...my body reacted on it's own, I suppose," Corrin said.

Xander sighed in clear agitation. "You're just lucky that nothing worse came from that. Mark my words Corrin, one day an act of kindness could be the death of you."

"Maybe so...but if I'm kind, I'll die without regrets," Corrin replied, patting Elise's head with a smile. His words drew a small amount of laughter, and every head turned to the woman who looked exactly like him: Kamui. The princess had her eyes open, exposing her brilliant red eyes.

"Shall I quote you on that?" She asked, and though her voice was much more monotone than Corrin had remembered, sarcasm was laced within her comment. With all the commotion going on, he had almost forgotten his twin sister was here to visit.

"Kamui!" Corrin approached her with his arms wide open for a hug, but was surprised when she made no move to step towards him. Her face was void of emotions. "Errr...hello?"

"Corrin," she said his name in acknowledgement before turning to glance at the rest of her siblings. Corrin noted that she had become more softspoken. "I am pleased to see all of you here and in good health. I would love to stay and chat, but my servants and I have business to take care of." She gestured towards Jakob and Flora, who were both still standing there with blank faces.

"But Kamui, we haven't spoken to each other in a really long time. Don't you want to hang out?" Corrin was becoming more and more sad. "We could all hang out together. We could have a family picnic? Or maybe-"

"I am going to have to refuse. Excuse us," Kamui interrupted. She swiftly turned and walked away, with Jakob and Flora following behind her. Neither of them had even said a word. Corrin was at a loss for words. He reached out for her, but Xander's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"She's busy," He simply stated. Corrin could only stare after her and wonder why his twin sister was acting so cold towards him. Maybe she was in a bad mood?

Though it was always dark in Nohr, Corrin knew that it was nighttime. He stood outside with Xander, alongside two of the prisoners from earlier.

"Listen well. The only reason either of you are alive is because of my brother's kindness. I suggest you leave before you're spotted by the king," Xander said.

The green haired man took off into a sprint. He was gone faster than Corrin could blink, which amazed him. The girl, Rinkah, however, stayed behind.

"Let me tell you something. I'm not one of your freed hostages, and I'm not someone to pity," She tuned to Corrin, and he was shocked by the fierce fire in her eyes. "You said your name was Corrin, right? The next time we meet, you will pay for this humiliation. Mark my words."

"Really? I was hoping that we wouldn't be on such bad terms the next time we met?" Corrin replied. "You see, Hoshido and Nohr are at war-"

"I know this," she growled.

"-So I'm just planning ahead for the day in which we can all find peace."

Rinkah stared at him for a moment, something everyone seemed to be doing today.

"You really are as naive as they come, aren't you? You sheltered prince. You prince who knows nothing of hardships, nothing of suffering, nothing of despair!" She was practically sneering at him now. Then, with one last glance, she snorted and took off in a random direction.

* * *

 **I don't know if anyone actually reads the A/Ns? But I'll type this anyhow haha. Sorry for the weird update schedule. You all know how life is. I also apologize if the storyline is kinda confusing so far? I try to make it as clear as possible, but still leave some mystery in there. I also didn't even attempt a fight scene, because I feel as though I'm kind of dragging the beginning along for a little too long haha. I want to get to the point where this story really becomes my own. I mean I've made some changes here and there, but the real story hasn't even started yet. So, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter- if you did, or didn't even, please leave a review! I'd really appreciate reviews, they help me grow as a writer I suppose. Thank you!**


	5. The Bottomless Canyon

Barely two hours had passed since the previous events. In that time, Corrin was shown around the castle by Elise, while the rest of his siblings, Felicia and Gunter went to take care of whatever business they had. They had passed by Jakob and Flora and gave a polite greeting and Corrin noticed that Flora seemed to be limping just a bit. Or maybe it was just his imagination? There was also the fact that Kamui was still nowhere to be seen. Corrin didn't know how to feel about that. As Elise chatted away, Corrin couldn't help but wonder why she seemed so distant. Kamui and he used to be incredibly close. In fact, he remembered a time in which Kamui was much more talkative, whereas he was very shy. Now she was quiet and her face held no expressions. He would blame it on the fact that she was out there, fighting alongside Xander and everyone, but brushed that thought outside when he realized that Camilla and the others were still the same. Why was it that she was so….different?

"...because you could really hurt yourself...hey! Are you even listening to me?"

Corrin was brought out of his thoughts by Elise's voice. He looked down at her and noticed that she was pouting.

"You didn't hear anything I just said," Elise said, crossing her arms. "You're ignoring me like Leo does!"

"Ah...I'm sorry, Elise," said Corrin, rubbing his head sheepishly. "I just have a lot going through my mind at the moment. I guess you could say I'm still in shock over the events that transpired."

Elise's pout softened and she uncrossed her arms. She couldn't be mad at him for that. Really, she couldn't be mad at Corrin about anything. But especially not that. "I guess it makes sense for you to still be surprised...and maybe a little angry. But Corrin, you have to understand that father does things like that to protect us! Even Xander said so. That's how I know it's true! Xander never lies!"

Corrin felt another headache approaching. He decided to just agree with Elise, because he didn't think he could handle another argument with one of his loved ones. "I suppose so. I just hope father isn't too angry with me." Garon's cold behavior was also upsetting to Corrin. Although he knew his father had always been cold and distant, he didn't think him a murderer. Even if it was to simply protect them, Corrin knew something was off.

"Me too," said Elise. Seconds later, her eyes brightened. "Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't we go apologize to father! Well, you more so than me. But I'll go with you for support!"

Maybe an apology would work. And then Corrin would be able to put all doubts about his father aside. There was no way Garon was a terrible person. Not only was he a father, but he was also a king. And a king shouldn't treat his subjects with anything else but kindness and loyalty. Yes, this made perfect sense in Corrin's mind. He nodded his head.

"I think that's a great idea! Let's go, right now!"

Elise nodded her head and beamed at him. She then took his hand and led him towards the throne room. Corrin hoped that everything would work out.

* * *

"Here we are!" Elise stated as the two made their way towards the large, red doors that would take them inside the throne room. Elise squeezed Corrin's hand and glanced up at him with a big smile. "Okay Corrin, let's go in there together. I promise I'll help you out as much as possible! I know that father will forgive you, no matter what!"

Corrin returned Elise's smile with a grin of his own. He was very lucky to have such a supportive sister. He didn't think he could go in there and talk to his father by himself. "Thank you, Elise. I hope you're right."

Elise let go of his hand and took a deep breath. "Okay..here we go." She cleared her throat before speaking loudly. "Father! Are you busy? Corrin and I wish to discuss a few things with you!"

It was quiet for a few seconds. Corrin wondered if Garon hadn't heard her, or maybe he wasn't even in the throne room. He was about to suggest for Elise to call out again when all of a sudden they heard loud laughter.

"Is that...father?" Corrin whispered. He had never heard the man laugh.

"I think he's with someone. Maybe we should come back at another time," Elise whispered back.

"Don't... fool," Garon's voiced continued. "I have no…killing...simply... skills."

The muffled sound of another voice came through the door. There was someone else in there, arguing with him it seemed. More laughter could be heard.

"Are you….trust..," Garon was still speaking, though Corrin couldn't hear everything he was saying.

"I can't hear what he's saying, but I think we should go," Elise whispered. Corrin could tell she was scared. He placed a hand on her shoulder for reassurance. He wanted to listen in on the conversation, but knew that it would be impolite and that Elise was too terrified to stay.

"You're right," he said. "Let's come back another-"

"Who goes there?!" Suddenly Garon's voice boomed through the doors, shocking both Elise and Corrin. Elise was visibly shaking now. It was rare that her father ever raised his voice and when he did, well, let's just say it was never a pretty sight. Corrin wondered if Garon really frightened Elise that much? Was a child supposed to be that afraid of their parent?

"S-sorry to bother you, father," Elise managed to stutter.

"Yes, please forgive us if we are intruding," Corrin added, squeezing her shoulder.

There was a moment of silence before Garon decided to speak again. "What is it that either of you want?"

"C-Corrin and I are here to apologize for Corrin's earlier behavior," Elise stuttered. "Right, Corrin?"

"Of course," Corrin said. "I apologize for going against your word." For once in his life, Corrin didn't really mean his apology. But if this was the only way to make everyone happy, then so be it.

"You may enter," Garon finally stated.

With that, the two looked at each other and nodded. Corrin opened up one of the large red doors and let Elise enter first. He entered behind her and then shut the door. As the two walked inside, Corrin noticed that Kamui was standing in front of Garon. The two made eye contact and Corrin thought he saw a glint of emotion in her eyes. But before he could decipher what emotion it was, his twin turned her eyes away from him.

"Corrin," Garon stated, which quickly caught Corrin's attention. "You disobeyed a direct order from me, the king as well as your father. There are people who have been killed for less. Normally you wouldn't even be standing in front of me."

Corrin frowned and looked down. He didn't like how he was being spoken to. But he supposed that this was just how his father showed that he loved him. 'I...I understand your frustration, father.."

Elise became panicked. "Father, you must know it was a mistake! Corrin didn't know what he did was wrong, but now he knows! Please don't-'

"Silence!" Garon growled, which caused Elise to quickly shut her mouth. The poor girl was still nervous about what would happen to her brother, but speaking even more would only make the situation worse. She hoped that father wouldn't bring too much harm to Corrin. Surely he had to see that it was a tiny mistake, right?

"Because you are my child, Corrin, I will be more lenient," Garon stated. Corrin could have sworn he saw Kamui stiffen out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing of it. "I have something in mind, actually. I want you to go on a mission. If you are able to successfully complete this mission, your crime will be forgotten."

"A mission?" Corrin repeated. "What kind of mission?"

Garon, who had been leaning forward, sat back in his chair. "There is an abandoned fortress on the Hoshidian border. I want to know if the building there is empty. I want you to travel to the site and inspect it. There will be no battles necessary. This is truly a simple task, one I'm sure you're capable of. Or at least, you'd better be capable of it," at this, Garon's eyes narrowed. "I don't expect to be disappointed twice."

Corrin gulped. Even though there was no battle required, it was still his first mission and he was nervous about it. He had always dreamed of being able to go out into the real world. Now that it was actually happening, he couldn't help but feel a little scared. "I understand, father. I won't let you down," he said.

It was at this moment that the doors to the throne room opened. In marched Xander, Leo and Camilla. They all wore blank faces similar to the expressionless face Kamui wore. He could tell, however, that they were all surprised to see himself, Kamui and Elise already in the room.

"Father?" Xander asked as he, Camilla and Leo filed in. "You wanted to see us?"

"Ah," Garon nodded. "I was just informing Corrin that he will be going on his first mission very soon."

"His first mission?" Camilla repeated. She turned to Corrin, her blank mask cracked by the obvious worry in her eyes. There was no way that she was about to let Corrin go to the outside world without her protection. She didn't care how well trained his servants were. If she found out that anyone laid a hand on Corrin's hand, Camilla would not be one happy big sister. "I'll go with him. It's a dangerous world. And it's my job as his oldest sister to watch after him."

Before Garon could even open his mouth, Kamui beat him to it.

"Actually, dear sister, Corrin will not need your assistance. It is simply a scouting mission. There won't be any battle required. Besides," Kamui turned and looked at Garon, her face serious. "If there is to be a fight, I will be there to assist him."

Corrin's eyes widened in surprise. Was she really going to go on a mission with him, after barely speaking to him? Why would she want to go in the first place?

"I'm afraid that isn't possible." Another voice rang out. Iago approached the group with a sly look on his face. He stood next to the King and ignored Camilla's heated glare. "Don't you children understand? Your majesty wishes for this to be a test for master Corrin. And as his top advisor, I have been entrusted with coordinating this mission. Therefore, I don't believe it is in our best interests for Corrin to receive help."

"No," Garon said.

"No?" Iago repeated, glancing at the king with a look of surprise.

"Let Kamui go with him," Garon said. "Maybe a little help from his other half will push him to his potential."

"B-But milord," stuttered Iago. "How do we know that Kamui, err, princess Kamui won't get in the way of Corrin's duties?"

"I have never steered father in the wrong direction," Kamui smoothly replied. "I will simply watch Corrin's hypothetical battle and gauge his skills in true battle myself. As one of the leaders of the Nohrian army, it is one of my many jobs to train new recruits. Father has no reason not to trust my word. And as he said, a bit of a push from me may help Corrin unlock his true powers. "

Garon nodded his head in. Iago shut his mouth and glared at Kamui. The albino princess did not seem to care and continued to stare ahead.

"And besides, I never intended to send him out there completely defenseless.." Garon snapped his fingers. In marched two guards, alongside a tall, bald man with a sneer on his face. The guards and the man stood across from the siblings. Both the guards kneeled, while the bald man stood still.

"...Milord." He stated.

"This is Hans," Garon said. "He is a warrior with just as much skill as Kamui. He will ensure that no trouble befalls you."

Corrin stared at Hans. The man stared back, his face of emotion for a moment. Then his lips curled into a full on smirk. Corrin felt chills run up his spine. He didn't quite understand why this stranger needed to come along on the journey if his twin sister was already accompanying him. But he supposed there was strength in numbers, as Xander would sometimes say. Still, he couldn't shake the nervous feeling he had just from looking at Hans. This man didn't seem to be good news. Corrin decided to ignore the feeling, however, and trust his father's judgment.

"I appreciate this. Thank you, father," he said.

As Iago and Hans dived into conversation, Xander gently nudged Corrin, a frown etched onto his face. "I would be wary of that man," Xander whispered. "He is a criminal. A murderer. I was the one who arrested him, years ago. Apparently father thinks he's changed his ways, but I don't quite believe so."

"...I see."

Well, now Corrin's suspicions were confirmed. This man was dangerous yet for some reason, his father felt it necessary for them to work together on a mission. What exactly was going to happen to him?

* * *

"Corrin!"

Corrin didn't even have time to turn around before he was pulled into a crushing hug by none other than Camilla. The busty purple haired woman didn't seem to want to let him go anytime soon, despite his obvious lack of oxygen.

"Please be careful out there, dear brother!" She said. "If you encounter any of those nasty Hoshidians, make sure you're extra cautious! Those scoundrels love to fight dirty. If I hear anything about someone so much as bruising you-"

"Camilla, the only person who's hurting him at this point is you," Leo said with a sweatdrop as he approached the group.

Corrin, Kamui, Felicia and Gunter were preparing for their trek towards the Bottomless Canyon, which would take them at least a day. Camilla, Elise, Xander and Leo decided to see them off on their journey.

"Oh my!" Camilla quickly let go of Corrin and covered her mouth as he dropped to the floor, gasping for air. "I'm so sorry, Corrin!"

"It's...okay.." Corrin managed to say through a fit of coughs.

Elise sighed and crossed her arms in a pout. "I wish I could go with you, big brother. It would be a lot of fun and I'm sure we can kick any bad guy's butt together!"

Leo snorted at that comment, causing Elise to turn and stick her tongue out at them. Corrin, standing up, could see the beginning of an argument start to form and he knew Xander would not be happy about that, so he decided to cut in before it escalated.

"It's okay Elise, really," he said. "I have Felicia and Gunter...and Kamui will be with me too! Our other big sister!" He gestured towards Kamui, who was silently leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and her eyes closed. She hadn't changed her outfit at all; she still wore a white dress, tight in the middle and flowy around her hips. She had on no shoes and her hair was neatly held back by a simple black headband. She didn't so much as twitch at the mention of her name.

There was a bit of an awkward silence after that. Elise looked at Kamui with longing eyes, which only served to further confuse Corrin.

"Ahh, yes," Camilla said to ease the slight tension. She sent Kamui a tight smile, though the albino princess wasn't looking. "It would be a wonderful thing to see you two fighting side by side. Kamui, make sure you keep your eyes on Corrin. You know how forgetful he can be."

"Of course," Kamui replied after a moment's pause. Her voice sounded so soft and distant that Corrin wondered if she even realized she'd said it.

"Don't worry, Lady Camilla!" Felicia said, sending her a smile. "Gunter and I will also be here to protect Lord Corrin and Lady Kamui. Nothing will happen to them!"

Gunter nodded his head in agreement with the clumsy maid's words.

"I'm grateful to you two as well," Camilla said, sending them a more sincere smile. "Err, Gundam and...Flora?"

"Close enough," Felicia said with a sweatdrop.

"For once, take my advice little brother," Leo said, putting a hand on Corrin's shoulder. "Don't talk to too many strangers and be alert at all times."

"I will, Leo!" Corrin smiled. "And I have a suggestion for you too! Your collar is on wrong again. Maybe you should fix it?"

Leo's face turned a bright red. "T-that was obviously intentional!" He stuttered.

As almost everyone burst into laughter at Leo's misfortune, Hans approached the group with an ugly scowl on his face. His presence was enough to get everyone to turn serious. He glared at Xander as he passed him, before standing close to Gunter and his horse. Gunter visibly stiffened. Xander sighed and glanced at Corrin, his expression serious.

"I believe it is time for you all to depart," he said. He placed a hand on Corrin's shoulder before glancing at the people who would be making the journey. "I wish you all the best of luck. I hope you have a safe journey."

* * *

Felicia, Gunter, Kamui, Corrin and Hans were finally making their way across the bridge over the Bottomless Canyon. It had been an awkward and silent journey. Anytime Corrin tried to make conversation, the only person who responded with Felicia. Kamui had her eyes forward most of the time, though Corrin noticed that she did occasionally glance at Hans. Hans either didn't notice or didn't care. His hand would twitch at certain times. And Gunter- well, Corrin couldn't even decipher what was going through the old man's head. Not that he ever really could. As the group moved forward, Corrin looked around in fascination.

"So this is it? This is the Bottomless Canyon?" Corrin asked.

"Yes, milord," Gunter finally spoke. "This is the natural boundary dividing Hoshido and Nohr."

"Is it really bottomless?" Corrin asked again.

"Supposedly," Felicia said, placing her hands on her hips and looking around. "They say that those who fall in have never returned.."

"Something about the land here just isn't right," Gunter added, looking around as well. "The sky here is always dark and lightning strikes all who fly across it. Normally we would go around but the fort King Garon wishes for us to survey is right over there."

"I don't think it's so bad," Corrin said. "I mean, at least the air is nice and fresh. And much better than that stuffy fortress."

"I suppose you're right about that, milord," Gunter said with a chuckle.

"Shh," Kamui said, putting a hand into the air. Everyone stopped walking to glance at her. It was silent for a moment, before Corrin decided to break the tension.

"What is it?"

Before Kamui could respond, a warrior dressed in samurai like garbs approached them. The crew looked on in surprise as more and more of them appeared. There was a man standing near the entrance to the fort, who seemed to be some kind of leader. Corrin thought that the fort had been empty. Why were there people here?

"Looks like the fort isn't as empty as we thought it was," said Felicia. "I wonder why there are so many Hoshidans here.."

"Eh?" These were Hoshidians? Again, they looked like normal human beings to Corrin. They were just wearing differently styled clothing.

"Do not advance any further, soldiers of Nohr!" The leader called out to them. "Crossing that bridge is a violation of our border treaty! If you don't turn back now, we'll be forced to attack!"

"What are we going to do?" Felicia asked, glancing at Corrin. "They're sure to act on their word if we aggravate them."

Corrin was, truthfully, lost. He didn't believe that fighting would solve the problem. But if he returned home without completing the mission, his father would be even more disappointed in him. And his siblings would probably be frustrated with him as well. He had already been picking fights with everybody for the past few days; he didn't want to start anymore. What if they started to hate him? He definitely couldn't have that. He could feel a headache beginning to develop.

"Well?" Kamui began, her eyes meeting Corrin's. "What are we going to do about this situation? You are the leader; this is your mission. We are to obey your orders….and we're waiting to receive them." She was staring at him with such an intensity that it almost made Corrin flinch. This was also the second time she had actually spoken to him today. Somehow, though, her words resonated within him. This was, above everything else, his mission. The fact that it was his first made it all the more important. Corrin cleared his throat and turned to his comrades.

"We didn't come here to fight," he said. "We'll have to turn back and report to father." Corrin thought for a moment. Isn't the mission technically completed? "He wished for us to see if the fort was abandoned and we did. There is nothing else to be accomplished."

Corrin thought he saw Kamui's lips twitch from the corner of his eye, but then again he might have been imagining things.

"Wise decision, Lord Corrin," said Gunter, nodding his head in approval. Felicia offered him a kind smile and Corrin felt proud of himself for the first time that day. He had finally made a good decision that everyone agreed on.

"Tch. Who asked you, old man?" Hans sneered.

...Or maybe not everyone.

"Pardon me?" Gunter asked, his eyebrows raised in surprise.

Hans didn't answer. Instead he lunged for the soldier that was standing across the bridge from the group. With a loud battle cry, Hans killed the unsuspecting soldier with the strike of his weapon. The soldier didn't even scream; he instead practically choked on his blood, most likely trying to speak but his words came out as garbled. The man collapsed, dead. To say that Corrin was horrified would be an understatement.

"Heh," Hans smirked. "That's right, scumbag. Die. Rot in hell."

"Hans!" Corrin had never been so angry as to actually growl, but new situations were coming about every day now. His entire body was shaking. "Why….why would you do that?! We had no reason to engage these troops! We weren't sent here to fight!"

"Speak for yourself, you weakling," Hans retorted, which caused Corrin's hands to ball into fists.

"I knew I couldn't trust you," Kamui stated, though her tone of voice was much calmer than Corrin's. "I was expecting for you to pull something like this. In no way, shape or form have you changed your ways."

Hans sent her a smile that disgusted Corrin's very being. "I like it when ya talk to me like that," he replied.

Their brief conversation was interrupted by the leader of the Hoshido soldiers. "Soldiers of Hoshido!" He yelled. "Do not leave a single Nohrian alive!"

Gunter sighed. "It seems as though there's no getting out of this one," he said. "Lord Corrin, please prepare to fight."

"To fight?" Corrin's mind was whirling. He was feeling a rush of emotions once again. Anger at Hans's instigation, horrified with watching a man get cut up in front of him, confused with his sister's strange behavior, etc. Why were all of these terrible things happening to him? Why couldn't he catch a break? And to top it all off, he was being forced to actually fight? Everything up until now had simply been practice, even his fight with the prisoners. But now this was the real deal and Corrin was not sure if he could handle it.

"I know that this is a lot for you to take in," Kamui's voice caught his attention. "But now is not the time to be in shock. The only way for you to learn is through actual experiences. You have to get out there and command your troops! They will fall if you don't take the lead!"

"But...I.." He was stuttering now. Everything was still coming as a surprise to him. His sister, who used to play tag with until their feet were too tired to carry them, was now yelling at him about how to command an army while in the midst of a battle.

The albino had too much going on in his mind. He swayed to and fro. He had gotten into an argument with Camilla, Leo, then a little bit with Elise. His twin sister was not the same person she used to he. He had witnessed his father kill a man before his very eyes. There was also the fact that a man had been cut open right in front of him by a convict. Never had he ever experienced so many horrific events in such a short amount of time. Corrin didn't even know what or how to feel. He couldn't take it anymore. His vision began to darken. He could faintly hear someone calling his name, but at that point he was too far gone to care.

He felt his body move, but he couldn't control himself. His fists loosened, his mind lost track of all thought. His vision went black and the voices around him went silent.

* * *

 **As a quick author's note, thank you to those who have been favoriting, following and reviewing! I do appreciate it! Reviews, though, tend to make me update a lot faster!**


	6. Kamui's Dilemma

**Just to be clear, so I don't confuse anyone, most of this chapter is from Kamui's point of view. This is most of what Corrin went through, but from Kamui's eyes instead of his. Enjoy!**

* * *

Kamui had always known that Corrin wasn't best suited for combat. He was too kind, too naive, too _pure_. As she watched her brother fall, Kamui almost began to wish that she could go back to a time in which she was the same way.

How simple those days were...when all she had to worry about was sitting through another boring lesson with Gunter, or cleaning up another one of Felicia's clumsy accidents. Seemingly as fast as the speed of light, memories of the events that had led up to this moment flashed in Kamui's mind.

* * *

The quiet princess remembered a period in time in which her siblings, namely Camilla, would dote on her as they did with Corrin. She and Corrin used to be so full of joy whenever they visited. They would play, talk, tease each other and eat delicious foods. It was delightful. They were locked up tight in the fortress and could rarely even go outside, but for some reason it was still a lot of fun.

Until she learned the truth.

"Milady, it will take us about two more days to reach the capital."

It took everyone by surprise, especially King Garon. When they learned that she knew the real story, or rather most of the real story, they didn't bother to hear the rest of what she had to say about just what else had gone down _that_ day.

"Flora has gone to fend off enemies in the area. She said that she could handle the enemies herself. She believes that there are only four of them."

She wondered to what extent did her siblings even still love her? Whenever they came into contact with one another, it wasn't as if either side were particularly nasty. But they were also wary of her. And she couldn't blame them, for she too would be cautious if she were in their position.

"Milady.." Jakob sighed softly. "Are you even listening to me?"

"There is nothing I can't hear with these ears of mine, Jakob," Kamui replied, turning to glance at her long time friend and servant. "You clearly said that Felicia was in the woods looking for a few things... and that it will take us about another hour to reach the castle."

"That wasn't even close," Jakob sweatdropped.

The two were seated inside a carriage being pulled along by a horse. A random soldier was outside the carriage, controlling the animal. They, along with Flora, had most recently finished completing a mission and were now on their way to see King Garon. Flora, as Jakob stated, had gone to finish off a few foes. She would catch up to them eventually; Flora was strong enough to fend for herself, this Kamui was sure of.

"You know, milady, the rest of the royal siblings will also be at the castle when we arrive," Jakob said. When Kamui didn't grace him with a response, he resumed speaking. "That includes Corrin."

Kamui almost let herself show a twitch of emotion. Then she remembered who she was and opted for quietly crossing her arms while leaning back.

"I see," she said.

"Milady-"

"Not another word of it, dear friend," Kamui cut him off before he could continue. She didn't have the energy for this. There was too much at stake and the princess was not about to throw it all away because she let her emotions get the best of her.

Jakob frowned. Of course he knew why it was necessary for Kamui to isolate herself from Corrin. He knew all too well the deal between she and Garon that had transpired many years ago. It was a ruthless agreement, yet it was one guaranteed to keep Corrin safe. Still…

"I just can't help but worry about your mental state of mind, milady," he said after a moment of silence.

Her eyes flickered to his, but as soon as she opened her mouth to speak Jakob beat her to it.

"You may be able to hide how you feel from everyone else, but you cannot hide it from me," Jakob stated sternly. "Forgive me if I sound rather rude, but don't think for a second that I haven't noticed weird patterns in your behavior. You've been caught up in your thoughts again; you're losing sleep and I know you haven't been eating as much as you should be."

Kamui closed her eyes. Leave it to Jakob to notice these things about her that no one else, not even herself at times, could.

"I appreciate your concern for my well being, Jakob," she said in that same soft voice she had become accustomed to speaking with. "However, I am a grown woman. I can take care of myself, you know. I've fought through tougher.

Jakob's eyes softened. "But I will always be here to help you through anything, my lady. Even if it means laying down my life for you."

Kamui's lips almost turned up in a smile, which was as close as anyone would get to seeing her look happy. Her face remained blank. "And I am grateful to you for that, Jakob-"

"For you, I would literally walk through fire or ice. If you commanded it, I would run into an army of thousands of Faceless. And if it ever happened, I would manually extract the fangs from the jaw of, say, a wolf or a fox, if it meant protecting you," he declared, clenching his fists.

Kamui nearly sweatdropped. "I believe that I get the point-"

"And I must remind you, Lady Kamui, that my talents are most certainly not limited to the battlefield!" He continued on confidently. "Don't forget that I can also cook, clean, sew, smith- anything that you want done can be done."

Kamui opened her eyes and rubbed her head. How many times had she heard the same speech? "Jakob-"

"Please pardon my immodesty," he bowed, though it looked strange seeing as though he was sitting down while doing it. "I can never forget that it is thanks to your kind ways that I am as accomplished a butler as I am today. I-"

"Jakob, I believe that is enough," Kamui finally said, exasperated. Jakob ceased his bowing and gazed at her and she already knew he was ready to spill out apologies.

"I have never been more thankful to have you as my butler," she quickly said before he could speak. "I am appreciative of you and Flora. I have confided in you ever since childhood. But right now, the only thing I ask of you is for...a quiet ride to the castle."

Of course Jakob didn't exactly want to be quiet- he was going somewhere with his rant about his loyalty to her, despite what she might have believed. He still wanted to talk about her mental state of mind, but if his lady wanted him to he quiet then dammit he would sew his mouth shut to please her.

…..Which he promptly began working on moments later.

"Jakob, that is not what I meant by a quiet ride. Please refrain from _sewing_ your mouth shut."

* * *

When they arrived at Castle Krakenberg, Kamui ordered for the soldier to put away the horse and to rest for their next possible mission. Not too long after that, Flora caught up with the group. Kamui noticed that Flora's foot was injured and stated this aloud. Flora said that the enemy had managed to give her a bit of a nick, but she would be fine. Kamui ordered Jakob to heal the maid's foot anyways.

Then the trio began the trek towards the throne room.

It was a quiet walk there. The three were used to silence when around each other. That was usually how their missions worked. There was no need for shouting or any other form of verbal exchange. They just needed to look at Kamui for confirmation before deciding to do anything, as Kamui was the one in charge.

This was one reason why Kamui chose Flora and Jakob to be her retainers. She also knew that Jakob would provide nothing but loyalty to her; with him, she'd never have to worry about betrayal. Jakob was her friend and the only person she ever confided in, although it was rare that she ever made the decision to do so.

Although he didn't seem to like her at first, Kamui saw something in Jakob that no one had ever seemed to see before: a human being. Someone with thoughts and feelings just like anyone else. Anytime the maids or anyone else poked fun at Jakob, Kamui would be the first person to defend him. Of course Corrin would follow after her, but it was always Kamui who spoke first.

Eventually Jakob began to develop a deep respect for the albino girl. He'd never met anyone who cared about him as much as she did. When the events that had gone down _that day_ happened, he promised her that he would protect her with his life from that very moment on. Ever since then, Jakob had been learning to perfect his skills in order to protect Kamui.

And now, Kamui couldn't imagine her life without the butler- and the same went for Jakob. When she was taken from the fortress at a young age, she'd made it clear that if Jakob was not allowed to come with her, there would be consequences.

Then there was Flora.

Even as children, Flora had always been the quietest and seemingly the shyest in their little fortress group that consisted of Felicia, Jakob, Corrin, Flora, Lilith and herself. While everyone else was laughing or joking around, Flora was always the most distant. Kamui had at first, admittedly, thought the bluenette was strange. But as they got older, she learned the one thing she and Flora had in common: love for their younger twin sibling.

Flora does not know as much about Kamui as Jakob knows and Kamui does not know a lot about Flora either. All she knows is that the maid is from the Ice Tribe and that she had practically begged to go with Kamui when the princess left the fortress. Flora had a goal and she was determined to reach this goal, even if it meant that she had to put some distance between herself and her sister. That was all the reason Kamui needed. She complied to Flora's plea, which, unfortunately, left a young Felicia in tears. And Corrin was the same sniveling mess. However, Kamui knew that it was for the best.

Flora became proficient at throwing knives as well as her ability to use the ice powers she had been born with. She made a great asset to Kamui's three man team.

Flora was still a bit of a mystery to Kamui, though she had begun to suspect what the reason behind Flora's leaving was. As long as she was respectful and complied to her wishes, Kamui didn't mind having her along for the ride.

"Milady, we have arrived," Jakob stated as the trio arrived at the doors to the throne room. Kamui nearly grimaced but held it in. This was for the best. She extended her hand forward and knocked on one of the large doors.

"Father," she called. "We have arrived."

There was a brief silence before they heard a faint "Enter."

When they entered the throne room, Kamui saw that her 'father' wasn't even sitting on his throne. Instead he was standing, arms at his side, staring at them as if he had been waiting for them.

All three of them bowed to him immediately after entering.

"Father," Kamui said softly in greeting, though she hated having to still call him father.

"Kamui," he replied, not even bothering to greet Jakob or Flora. "How did the mission go?"

"It was a success, father," she said, still bowed. "We were able to defeat the Hoshidians who had managed to sneak across the border. It turns out that they were not a threat; most of them were simple civilians."

"I trust that you managed to kill them?"

Kamui almost grit her teeth, but years of experience with a man as cold as he had taught her to never show how she truly felt. "Yes sir," she replied.

After a moment's silence, Garon finally spoke. "You may all rise." To which the three rose from their bowing position. "If that is all, then the only thing left for you to do now is wait for the arrival of your siblings. They will be here shortly."

Kamui didn't speak and instead chose to turn her back to him and look at the doors expectantly. She was relieved that her "father" didn't utter any more words.

* * *

When Corrin entered the throne room only seconds after their brief talk, Kamui was almost happy. It had been years since she had seen her twin brother in person and he had grown so much. His hair was actually brushed and not all over the place as it had been when they were children. He was taller, maybe an inch or two taller than she. He was dressed in armor, though she noticed that it didn't seem to have a Nohrian taste. She couldn't exactly figure out what kind of look it was, since it didn't look very Hoshidiann styled, but it suited him just fine.

Kamui closed her eyes. The only thing that hadn't changed about him was that goofy smile of his. Oh how she wanted so badly to preserve it.

"Kamui! I'm so glad I get to see you again!"

She wished she could give him a tight hug and say the same. However, the albino princess chose to ignore him, reminding herself that this was all for his safety. She managed to squash down the guilt bubbling inside her the best she could. It had to be this way.

"I've been told that you've become an excellent warrior, one almost on par with Xander. I believe that you finally possess the strength to become the perfect instrument of Nohr's power in the world."

The perfect instrument of Nohr's power? She would be having a word with her so called father later on. This goes against their agreement and Kamui was not one to be played.

"But father, is Corrin gonna be okay outside the fortress?"

"I am also worried about that. Isn't it a bit dangerous for Corrin to leave outside the magical barrier of the fortress?"

Elise and Camilla- two people that Kamui found to be quite vexing at times. Though she supposed Elise had an excuse for being a little annoying- she was still young and almost as inexperienced as Corrin. But Camilla… sometimes, she was something else.

The king continued to talk to Corrin. The princess didn't so much as twitch when they mentioned her name. Most of what transpired, in fact, didn't exactly interest her. The part that caught her attention was Corrin's defiance against Garon.

When she opened her eyes to take a look at the situation, she could see just how fiery Corrin's eyes had become. His mind was 100 percent made up. He was not about to lay another finger on these prisoners, even if it costed him his life. Kamui was proud of her brother for standing up for what he believed was right. She was also relieved. They hadn't brainwashed him into thinking that all Hoshidians were evil. They hadn't taken away his morals. And they wouldn't, Kamui could promise anyone that. Not while she was alive.

After Garon childishly stomped away, Xander had begun to reprimand Corrin. How unsurprising to see her oldest and most brainwashed sibling stick up for their father.

"You're just lucky that nothing worse came from that," Xander said with a sigh. "Mark my words Corrin, one day an act of kindness could be the death of you."

"Maybe so...but if I'm kind, I'll die without regrets," Corrin replied.

Kamui let out a dry laugh. She hadn't meant to, hell she'd even forgotten that she possessed the ability to laugh, but now everyone's eyes were on her. She decided to play it off as if she meant to laugh.

"Shall I quote you on that?" She rhetorically stated.

"Kamui!"

She almost winced when she saw him approach her with open arms. She made no move to approach him. The albino princess acknowledged him before training her eyes on everyone else in the room.

"I am pleased to see all of you here and in good health. I would love to stay and chat, but my servants and I have business to take care of."

"But Kamui!" Corrin was whining now. "We haven't spoken to each other in a really long time. Don't you want to hang out?"

He began listing all the things they could do together, but Kamui decided to interrupt him before he could somehow convince her.

"I am going to have to refuse. Excuse us."

Kamui turned and began walking towards the exit with Flora and Jakob right behind her. She didn't want to look back and see her brother's disappointed puppy eyes. She had to remind herself over and over that this was all for his benefit. Even if she had to throw away her own feelings and becoming a walking machine she'd do it for his sake. Besides, there was something that she needed to deal with.

* * *

Moments after the exchange with her father and her siblings, Kamui ordered for Jakob and Flora to clean up around the castle. She told them she had business to take care of, though she didn't specify what this business was.

After they had gone their separate ways, Kamui approached the throne room once again. When she got close to the room, she could hear Garon's voice though it seemed as if he was talking…. but to who? She decided to knock on the doors to get his attention. They needed to talk.

It was silent for a moment. The silence lasted only seconds, but to Kamui it felt like hours before he finally announced that she could come in.

When she entered the room, she noticed that no one else was anywhere to be seen. Of course. He had been doing this more and more often, it seemed; talking to himself aloud.

"Father, I believe that you and I need to talk," she said, skipping the procedure of bowing before speaking.

The King raised a grey eyebrow. "And what is it that you wish to speak about?"

"You know what I want to talk about," was her simple reply.

Garon leaned back in his throne, placing his head in the palm of his hand. With the fingers of his other hand, he drummed the surface of the throne. "Ahh…"

"Why did you have him fight those prisoners?"

She didn't want Corrin to ever have to experience the guilt of having to slay another human being, innocent or not. He shouldn't ever have to feel the pain of watching comrades fall in battle. Never should he ever be subjected to the ugly side of humanity the way she had been forced to from an early age.

"You dare to question what I order my people to do?" His eyes narrowed. "You've become much too bold."

Forgive me for sounding rude, _father_ ," she said, somehow managing to keep her calm. "But this is not what we agreed on."

"Are you saying you don't trust me?"

Kamui was quiet. Of course she didn't trust him. He had ruined her entire life and Corrin's as well. She would _never_ be the same again. But she couldn't voice this aloud. Instead she shook her head.

"Do you really think that he'll be able to survive in a war ridden land without being able to cut down an enemy?" Garon frowned. "Don't be a fool, Kamui. I was simply testing his skills. I have no intention of seeing one of my children cut down by an enraged peasant."

"And so you tell him that he will make make the perfect instrument of war in order to get his blood pumping?"

Garon's fists clenched. "Don't make a mockery out of me, child," his voice had changed, taking on a deeper tone. "Know your place."

There was silence for a moment before he broke out into a fit of intense coughing. He leaned over and coughed into his hand. Kamui watched on in silence. She was all too familiar with this sudden change in tone and it was one of the many mysteries she never understood about this man. Why was it that his tone of voice deepened, his eyes seemingly changed color, his whole demeanor was different? It was as if he was not one person- as if his mind was split between two personalities.

 _"I think...go."_

Kamui's ears twitched. She turned and glanced at the doors. It sounded as though someone was standing outside. Could they hear the conversation?

The King noticed this as well. He had stopped coughing and turned his attention towards the door. "Who goes there?!" He bellowed.

Elise soon walked in, followed by the subject at hand: Corrin.

* * *

Somehow Kamui had managed to worm her way into going on a mission with Corrin. There was no way that she'd let him be accompanied by that convict, no matter how much she trusted Gunter and Felicia to protect him. After the meeting, the group dispersed once more and Kamui found herself seated in the large kitchen with Flora. The blue haired girl was making a pot of tea for the two.

It was quiet for a moment, Kamui lost in her own thoughts. For some reason, she did not have a good feeling about this next mission. The abandoned fortress is much too close to enemy territory. Was Garon that willing to believe in Corrin's capabilities, so much as to put him close to the front lines? No, that couldn't be the case. Despite what he says, Kamui knew that he was too cruel to care about the mental and physical health of his children. So there was no way that he'd care about a child that wasn't even his.

This was most likely his way of ending their wager. He was probably bored of keeping Corrin locked up tight. Maybe this was his way of throwing him to the sharks without actually saying it. Thousands of possibilities of what could happen ran through Kamui's mind. Most of them ended in Corrin's death. She almost visibly shuddered. Corrin's bloody, lifeless body plagued her mind. What if there was nothing she could do to stop that? She could almost already smell the blood. She could picture Garon hovering over his body, laughing. Kamui placed her head in her hands. If that were to happen, what would she do?

"Milady?"

Kamui's eyes snapped up. Flora stood before her with a teapot in one hand a cup in the other.

"Would you like some tea?"

Kamui glanced at the pot before slowly nodding her head. She watched as Flora poured the tea into her cup. That was literally the only sound being made in the kitchen.

Once she'd finished pouring the tea, she set the teapot down and stepped back. Kamui slowly picked up the tea and stared at it before taking a small sip. Then another. And then another.

"Flora," she finally said after taking yet another sip. "I will be going on another mission very shortly."

"Do you need for me to prepare the horses?" Was Flora's immediate response.

"You and Jakob will not be accompanying me."

If Flora looked surprised then she did not show it. As expected of her. If it were Jakob, he would have immediately launched a barrage of questions...in a respectful manner, of course. "I see. Then I wish milady a speedy and safe travel back home to this castle."

Home. This place is the last thing she'd call home. But, then again, there really was no other place in which she could call her own.

"Thank you," Kamui stood up, setting down her cup still half full of tea. "Please inform Jakob of my departure."

* * *

Kamui watched her siblings interact with one another. It never ceases to amaze her, how much they loved one another. She used to be apart of that love. But then…

"It's okay Elise, really," Corrin was saying. "I have Felicia and Gunter...and Kamui will be with me too! Our other big sister!"

There was an awkward silence. Now all the attention was on her. Kamui almost face palmed. She loved her twin, but honestly…

"Ahh, yes," Kamui inwardly sighed, because here comes Camilla with something to say. "It would be a wonderful thing to see you two fighting side by side. Kamui, make sure you keep your eyes on Corrin. You know how forgetful he can be."

Kamui was quiet for a moment. She had expected something along those lines so she wasn't surprised that Camilla didn't give her a good luck send off.

"Of course."

* * *

She'd told Camilla that she'd keep an eye on Corrin, even though she'd already planned on doing that. But here she was, on a battlefield, with an unconscious brother, a convict, a seasoned but old warrior and the definition of clumsiness.

"Gunter!" Kamui yelled. "Get Corrin to safety!"

"Yes milady!" In seconds, Corrin unconscious body was on the back of Gunter's horse. The old man himself stood in front of the horse, his sword drawn.

"Listen clearly," Kamui had launched herself into her general mode. "It seems our only way out of this is to seize that fort. Hans isn't going to listen to us, so this mission is up to us. We will go forward towards the dragon vein at the edge of the bridge. Gunter, you stick to the rear. Felicia, your task is to guard Corrin from any air attacks. I will take the front. Is that understood?"

"Yes milady!" Felicia and Gunter cried in unison.

"And one more thing," Kamui turned forward, her mind on Corrin's silly ramblings on their trip to this place. "If you can, try not to kill the enemy. If they become weaponless, there is no point in killing them. But...do what you must."

"Right!"

With that being said, the group lept into battle.

* * *

They had done it. They'd managed to seize the castle and protect Corrin at the same time. She'd also managed to protect Corrin's wishes, which were to not cut down any enemies should they meet any. Well...she mostly kept to that promise. Some of the more idiotic soldiers were forced to unfortunately meet their death at her hands. It sickened her.

But now was not the time to dwell on those thoughts.

"Felicia, how is Corrin doing?" She asked the pink haired woman who was crouching by her twin.

"He's doing fine. He wasn't injured or anything like that, milady," Felicia responded, casually trying to hide the bruise on his forehead from when she had accidentally elbowed him.

Kamui sighed.

"Look alive, milady," Gunter said, narrowing his eyes as three more soldiers approached the group.

One of the men stood out amongst the group. It was clear from the clothes that he wore that he was a ninja. He had fiery red hair, a mask and a scar on his left eye. His group cautiously approached Kamui's squad.

"So, are you the leader of these troops?" The red haired man sounded as if he were in disbelief. "You're just a girl."

"And who might you be?" Kamui replied, her voice becoming monotone.

"My name is Saizo. You have taken the lives of some of my troops and for that I must take your life," he replied.

"Bold words," Kamui said.

The red haired man stared at her for a bit longer. "I've heard rumor of a girl with hair like snow from Nohr who could destroy an army with a punch. Would that happen to be you?"

"Ahh," Kamui let a sigh escape her once more. "I've never met such a talkative ninja."

She sized up the group. She could take out the other two in seconds, but this red haired man? He looked to be quite fast and her stamina wasn't the best as it was. She was sure Felicia and Gunter, too, were tired. Maybe she and Gunter could stay and distract the enemy while Felicia managed to get away with Corrin? That way Corrin would be out of harm's way and she'd be able to do much more damage. She inwardly nodded. She was sure that they could take them, she'd just have to tap more into her dragon blood.

"Felicia-" all of a sudden, Kamui froze. Something was wrong. The land around her was becoming dizzy, her vision blurry. .

"Milady?"

Kamui kneeled over and began coughing. She felt as if she was going to throw up at any second. What was happening to her? Someone must have done something to her when she hadn't noticed. But how?

"Quickly! Attack!" The red haired ninja yelled and the soldiers ran forward, Kamui could hear their feet.

"My lady! What's the matter?!"

For some reason, however, her body was not responding to her. She was starting to feel very….cold. The white haired woman collapsed onto the ground, her eyes barely open.

"K-Kamui?"

Whoever had done this to her would pay, she'd make sure of that.

"I won't allow it!"

Voices, there was voices everywhere. She heard a lot of yelling, a lot of feet moving, grass crunching, swords clashing, but she couldn't do anything. Her body felt numb, her vision was beginning to darken. She wanted to stay awake, what if someone was trying to hurt Corrin? But alas, her heavy eyes finally gave in and she slipped into slumber.

* * *

 **Hey guys! It's me with another author's note haha..ha. Okay look, I'm sorry that this chapter came so late. And it's probably not the type of chapter you guys had been expecting, but I felt the need to do this before continuing any further with the story. I had planned to have this chapter up sooner but eh...also I know I keep cutting out the action parts, so you guys haven't really seen Kamui in battle. But eventually you will, don't worry. Also, as a little Christmas to you guys, the next chapter will be up soon! It should be up sometime this week, make no mistake about that! Thank you to the people who have stuck by me, I know my update schedule pretty much sucks. I'll try to get better. Peace!**


	7. Headaches

Corrin blinked his eyes open slowly. He gazed up at a dark, starless sky. The albino prince's thoughts were fuzzy. Just where in the world was he?

"Quickly! Attack!"

He quickly sat up at those words and was met with many untasteful sights. Felicia and Gunter had their backs to him, their weapons drawn and in fighting stances. Across from them were soldiers who were running towards them with their weapons drawn as well. Kamui was laying face first on the ground, not moving at all. Just what the hell had happened? Was this a dream?!

"K-Kamui?" He stuttered, catching the attention of a panicked Felicia.

"My lord, you're awake already?" She cried.

"What's going on?" Corrin demanded, trying to stand to his feet but failing. "Where did these people come from-"

And then it hit him. Hans, the samurai who was viciously murdered before his very eyes, his sister's words, everything. It all came back to him in a rush and he felt his head start to throb a bit. He put a hand on his forehead.

He'd fainted in the middle of battle. And because he'd fainted, he'd put the lives of his sister and his friends in danger. How stupid and careless of him.

"I won't allow it!"

He looked up just in time to see Xander's sword clash with a sharp object that had been thrown Kamui's way. And, once again, he was on a horse.

"Xander?" He was incredulous. So many things were happening at once.

"Is this their real commander?" Corrin looked at a red haired man who looked familiar. Did he know him from somewhere?

"Corrin," Xander began. "What's going on here?"

Corrin blinked. Did he really want to know? "Well," he took a deep breath."WegothereandatfirstitwasveryquietandallwaswellbutthenallofasuddenasamuraiappearedandIwastoldthatwasaHoshidianbutIdidn'tthinkthemanwasaHoshidianbecausehelooksjustlikeusandthenallofasuddenHanscameandkilledthemanandthemanfelloverdeadandKamuigotmadandthentheHoshidiansgotmadsoeverybodywasmadandeverybodywaslookingto meforadecision- my head hurts."

"Okay, okay," Xander sighed. "Because I don't have a single clue as to what you just sputtered, we'll discuss this later."

"Xaaaander! Cooooooorrin!"

Corrin stood up and turned his head, just in time to see Elise waving her arms as she galloped towards the group on her horse. Camilla and Leo followed right behind her.

"You guys are here too?" Corrin said as soon as they caught up with each other.

"Yes and it seems we've arrived just in time," Leo said. "I suppose your luck never runs out, does it?"

"Oh Corrin! Are you alright?" Camilla frowned. "I was so very worried about you."

"I'm fine," he said, before turning to look at his other sibling who was being held by Gunter. "It's Kamui we should all be worried about. I don't know what happened to her, but she seems as though she was pretty badly hurt."

Camilla and Leo looked shock to see Kamui unconscious in Gunter's arms. Meanwhile, Elise looked more than just a little concerned.

"We'd better help her as soon as possible!" She said, holding on tightly to her staff.

"Well, before we do anything… we're still under attack," Corrin said, pointing to the opposing team. "For some reason they're just let us talk the entire time, but I don't know how long that'll last…"

"R-Right," Camilla turned her eyes away from Kamui. "Who dares to lay a finger on my precious Corrin...and Kamui. I'll have their head on a platter!"

"Uh, but I wasn't hurt."

Camilla didn't seem to be listening and charged into battle. She swung her axe at both soldiers and they instantly fell to ground in pain. Corrin watched on in shock.

"Our older sister is very...ruthless," he said.

"Hehe, yea she is!" Elise agreed.

The red haired man, clearly seeing that the situation wasn't working out, took many steps backward. Another woman, with long brown hair and dressed in similar garbs, appeared beside the man. The two had a conversation that Corrin could only hear bits and pieces of. It sounded as though the two were speaking in another language.

Xander glanced at his group. "Reinforcements seem to be on the way," he said.

"Yes," Leo nodded his head. "What shall we do?"

"I don't see a reason for engaging in battle with the Hoshido force anymore. The fortress has been inspected, mission completed," Xander replied. He looked at Corrin. "I want you, pink haired Flora and Gunter to take Kamui and get away from here. We'll follow close behind."

"Err, it's….Felicia...milord…"

Corrin frowned. He wanted to stay with his siblings but it was clear that they could handle things here on their own. Besides, what mattered most was getting Kamui medical attention immediately.

"Alright. But be careful, everyone," Corrin said, before he and the others sped off.

* * *

The group had been traveling away from Xander's group for a while now. However, Corrin had noticed something, or rather someone, was missing.

"Gunter, where's Felicia?" He asked the old man. "I'm sure she was with us just a second ago.."

"Milord, I'm sure she's right behind us," Gunter replied. "Now hurry along. I've got a bad feeling about this bridge."

"Oh don't worry. You won't have to stand there much longer."

Instantly Corrin and Gunter were on their guard as Hans appeared, seemingly from nowhere. Corrin didn't know what else had transpired while he was asleep but he was sure that this man had done some more evil deeds.

"Hans!" Corrin exclaimed, summoning his sword and clenching it tightly.

"What is the meaning of this?" Gunter growled.

"Hmmm….less talk. More death."

And with those words, Hans rushed ar Gunter with a speed Corrin didn't know the convict possesed. He managed to land at least two clean blows on the veteran. The blows were too much for the bridge to take, because it broke. Gunter cried out as he and his horse began to fall. At the last moment Gunter threw Kamui's unconscious body up into the air and back onto the bridge. Gunter then disappeared into the dark abyss.

"G...G...Gunter?" Corrin watched as the man fell, some of his blood etched into parts of the wooden bridge. His eyes could barely process Kamui laying, unmoving, near him. How could this be happening? This had to all be some type of horrific joke.

"How….how could you do that… " Corrin began to shake. "Your own...your own ally…"

"Oh, did I knock the babysitter into a ditch?" Hans smirked, shrugging his shoulders. "Whoopsies. Let me make it up to ya. I'll knock you down there with him. And, you know what? I might just knock the unconscious bitch down there too."

That was the final straw. Corrin was done playing games.

"You'll pay for this!" He screamed, and his arms began to transform into the arms of a dragon's. He grew long, large scales on his head. His red eyes burned with anger- the man didn't even realize he had transformed, nor did he know that he even had the power to do this. He was almost lost in his anger.

"W-What kind of freak are you?!" Hans cried.

Corrin didn't reply, instead opting to attack him. He struck Hans over and over again, using either his sword or his dragon hands, continuously landing a harsh blow.

"I want you to answer my questions, Hans!" Corrin growled as his dragon arms created a strange, blue orb and launched it Hans' way. "Why did you kill Gunter? Why did you provoke the Hoshidins? What are you doing this for? What was the point?! Answer me!"

"I was just following King Garon's orders!" Hans cried, trying desperately to block Corrin's attacks.

Corrin stopped attacking. He must be lying. There was just no way.

"You're not telling me the truth…"

Hans took this opportunity to get away.

Corrin growled. "Get back here!" He said, but before he could take another step his sword began to shake. It lifted him in the air, catching him by surprise. The sword then led him over the bridge and began to drop into the Bottomless Canyon. Corrin let out a scream of no.

This wasn't supposed to happen. Now who was going to catch Hans and shake him down for answers? Who was going to get Kamui to safety? What happened to Felicia? Corrin reached a hand out towards the bridge as he continued to fall. He let a single tear slip. He'd failed his siblings. He'd failed his friends, especially Gunter. And he'd failed his father.

Now he was going to die. He was going to die after he'd worked so hard to make it out of the fortress and explore the world. He was going to be dead before he could see Kamui's smile ever again. Corrin closed his eyes. This was the end and there was nothing he could do about it. He only hoped that Xander and the others could reach Kamui in time.

"My kin, my gods, my blood!"

Did he just hear someone speak?

"Dragons grant me strength! Great Moro, I beseech you!"

Corrin opened his eyes just in time to see Lilith, of all people, grab his hand. She began to flash as a transformation overcame her. The woman became much smaller and her skin became different colors. When she was done transforming, she had become some type of animal that looked strangely familiar.

She flew the two back up into the air and over the bridge. Corrin stared up at her in complete shock. And he thought that there would be nothing else that could surprise him that day.

"L-Lilith? Is that you?" He sputtered. "What...what ARE you?"

"Oh...lord Corrin," her voice sounded the same. "I knew this day would come. This may come as a shock to you but I'm not a human."

"Well yea! I can see that!" He sweatdropped. "Are you a dragon?"

"Yes. This is my true form. Actually, you've seen me in this form before...don't you remember? The bird that you saved in a barn? That was me."

"You...I… what…" Corrin was at a loss for words.

"Once I was able to recover, I managed to take on a human form. And you were so kind to me that I decided to remain a human and serve you," Lilith smiled sadly. "But now I have used a power that goes beyond capacity of a human body...I will not able to return to that form. But the most important thing is keeping you and Lady Kamui safe."

All of a sudden a flash of lighting struck Lilith. She screamed in pain.

"Lilith! If you have to, drop me! Don't sacrifice yourself for me!" Corrin cried.

Lilith didn't listen to the albino prince. She instead swooped down and grabbed Kamui's hand. "First dragons, I call on you," she began. "Grant us access to the astral plane!"

A white light appeared around the group. Corrin watched in wonder as the light swallowed them whole. The group disappeared from the bridge.

* * *

When the light faded away, Corrin found himself sitting on some grass. He blinked his eyes twice. "...What just happened?"

He looked around. Lilith was floating in the air. Kamui was laying on the ground, still unconscious which worried him. The area around him was...strange. For one, the sky was a nice blue color instead of the usual black. That was rare for Kingdom of Nohr. There were trees with pink flowers all around him. There were also small, strangely shaped buildings around him.

"...And where are we?"

"This is a world parallel to the one you live in," Lilith replied. "It is known as the astral plane."

Corrin crawled towards Kamui and frowned at her sleeping face. "How were you able to get us here?"

"The First Dragons have granted us the power to inhabit this dimension," Lilith said. "All three of us are safe here. Oh, forgive my rudeness! Let me prepare a place for you two to rest!"

There was a flash of light so bright, Corrin was forced to shield his eyes. Just a quickly as the light came, it went away and was replaced by two twin treehouses. Corrin gazed at the houses in awe.

"H-How…"

"I used a Dragon Vein," Lilith said, smiling happily. "The power of the First Dragons flows freely in this realm."

"I see," Corrin stood to his feet. "Well, is there anyone here that can help awaken my sister? I don't know what happened to her, but she doesn't have any external injuries from what I can see."

"Unfortunately, we are alone," Lilith lowered her eyes in sadness. "There's no one left here. And I could help Lady Kamui, but I am too weak at the moment to do so. We would have leave the Astral Plane and get her the medical attention she needs."

Corrin could see the sadness etched into Lilith's face and instantly felt guilty. "Hey, I'm sorry if that brought up bad memories.."

"It's fine, Corrin," Lilith replied. "As long as you and Kamui are in my life, I don't feel lonely at all."

"I'm still confused about this entire situation," Corrin put his hand to his head, for he could feel yet another headache coming about. "You're a dragon now..and Hans told me that my father sent me on this mission just to kill me. And Gunter…" Corrin's fists clenched at just the memory of what had gone down. "I…."

He supposed that this was bound to happen sooner or later. Slowly the tears leaked out, streaming down his face one after the other. Corrin hated it when he cried, rare as it was. His face would become red and he just plain out looked stupid. But he couldn't help it this time.

"Corrin…" Lilith looked at him worriedly.

"Forgive me," Corrin said, sniffing. "I'm not the type to cry when the going gets tough. But…" His mind flashed back to Gunter:s horrified face as he fell into the bottomless canyon. "Gunter….I'm so sorry."

The group sat there in silence, as Corrin continued to cry his eyes out while reflecting on past events. If only he hadn't been so careless…maybe he could have even helped save that man from Hans' axe.

After what felt like hours, though it was less than two minutes, the tears had finally stopped falling. He breathed in and out, wiping the tears while trying to get a hold of himself. He knew now was most certainly not the time to be crying.

"You will become stronger, Corrin," Lilith's words reached his ears. "I believe in you. What's happened has happened and there's nothing you can do to change that. But you can make a difference now...you can still protect the people you love."

Corrin nodded his head slowly. He had to fight harder than ever before. He would use this experience as a lesson. There was no use in moping about it. He just needed to remind his brain of that.

"I think that some rest will help," Lilith suggested.

"... What about Kamui?" He glanced down at his sister. "She could be seriously injured without either of us knowing."

"No, I doubt it. I don't smell any signs of poison," Lilith looked a bit surprised. "I'm surprised you haven't used your nose. It seems to me as if she's just been given a sleeping potion."

"My nose?" He blinked in confusion. "How could I smell something like that?" He smiled a bit, sniffing. "Did you forget that I'm just a human, Lilith? I don't have the same powers as you."

The floating dragon gave a nervous laugh. "Ah, yes it...slipped my mind. Anyhow, I strongly suggest you get some rest. It might help clear your head."

"Ahh..I guess you're right," He sighed, glancing over at the treehouses.

"Guess you're right." He repeated to himself.

As Corrin walked away, with Kamui in his arms, Lilith couldn't help but feel...bothered. There was something off about Princess Kamui. The girl was for sure unharmed and Lilith expected for her to make a recovery. But it seemed as though there was something more to her. Almost as if there was some sort of...spell or curse over her. She decided not to mention this to Corrin.

* * *

"Lord Corrin, how are you feeling?" Lilith asked as the man made his way towards her.

"I'm feeling a little better now," Corrin replied. "And I have so many new thoughts and questions about this world!"

Lilith laughed. "All in good time."

He glanced over at Kamui, who was on the ground still asleep. "I thought I'd put her into bed before going to my treehouse?"

"Yes, you do," Lilith nodded. "I decided to bring her out here and see if I could help her. I've found that the herbs needed to awaken her are ones that I don't have in stock. But she's still alive, rest assured. You both have some business that needs to be taken care of in the other world."

"You're absolutely right. I can't relax until I know everyone else made it home safely."

"Of course," Lilith nodded. "But there's something you should know before you go back. Once I open the portal, you will be returned to the same location in which you came from. Meaning, unfortunately, you'll be right at the Hoshidan border. There's a chance that there are soldiers awaiting your arrival."

"Don't worry. I'll be ready for them!" Corrin grinned, filled with a bit of newfound confidence. "I'll protect Kamui no matter what!"

"Very well. I shall open the gate."

Corrin scooped Kamui up into his arms, carrying her bridal style. She was a lot lighter than she looked. He'd always thought she'd be heavy since she basically had dragon scales for armor. A blue light flashed around the two. Corrin looked at Lilith and gave her a kind smile.

"Wish me luck!" He said before the two disappeared.

* * *

Corrin and Kamui appeared near the bridge that overlooked the Bottomless Canyon. He gazed around.

"Damn. I was hoping one of my siblings would be here, with a horse to carry Kamui," He sighed to himself. "Where is everyone?"

"You're mine, Nohrian!"

Before Corrin could even blink, he'd been hit in the back of his head. His vision grew dark and once again the prince fell to ground, dropping Kamui along the way.

* * *

When Corrin came to, he could smell food burning and could hear a fire crackling. He sat up fast, which didn't turn out so well for him because head began throbbing. He sighed.

"Not another headache…"

"I see you're awake."

His attention snapped to the woman who had just spoken. He was surprised to see that it was a girl with dark skin, hair almost as white as his and ragged clothes.

"Sorry about that bump on your head," She continued, smiling a bit. "But I guess it's payback for the last time we fought."

"Err….who are you again?"

She gaped at him, almost falling over."You seriously don't remember me?!"

"Uhh...no?"

"Ugh!" She facepalmed. "You're as dense as they come, aren't you? We fought when I was a prisoner in that strange castle! Remember? I gave you the whole 'I am Rinkah of the Flame Tribe' speech?"

"Oh yea!" Corrin nodded his head. "The loud girl, now I remember you. Good to see ya!"

Rinkah fumed, though the naive prince didn't seem to notice.

"So uh...where are we?"

She sighed. "This is a Flame Tribe village within Hoshido's territory. I'm going to hand you and sleeping beauty over there to Hoshidan authorities." She pointed at Kamui, who was still knocked out.

Corrin was inwardly annoyed. Annoyed and startled. After all that talk of getting stronger for his family and friends, he just had to get himself and Kamui caught. He supposed this must be a test of sorts. He'd have to figure a way out of the situation.

"I suppose they'll want an explanation for the...unprovoked attack."

Everytime Corrin remembered Hans' face, he was just filled with more and more annoyance. This was all his fault. Wait..

"And then...they'll execute me, right? And my sister?"

Rinkah chuckled. "Heh. No, I don't think so."

There was a knock at the door. Corrin's head swerved towards the door, feeling a sense of panic.

"They're here already?" He asked.

"Yes. It's time to go," Rinkah replied, standing to her feet.

"But…" Corrin tried to think of a way to stall for time. "We didn't even get to eat the food! We can't just let it go to waste."

"This food is just scraps, it's almost gone. You can have the rest if you want it so badly."

She thrusted a plate into his face. Corrin's nose crinkled at the smell. Was that...bear? It smelled like some sort of game and Corrin had a feeling that he didn't need or want to be eating it.

"Errr nevermind. Let's just go."

* * *

With Kamui in his arms once more, Corrin and Rinkah made their way outside. There, Corrin saw the green haired man he had also battled at Castle Krakenberg.

"It's you again! The cool ninja guy," Corrin said. "Kaze, right?"

"How could you remember him but not me?" Rinkah asked with a scowl on her face.

"Rinkah, please," Kaze gave her a look before he bowed before Corrin. "Yes, it is I, Kaze. I'm glad you're safe Prince Corrin. And I'm glad Princess Kamui is here as well. It's a good thing we found you."

Corrin blinked. Weren't these the same guys who were hissing at his Nohrian siblings? Weren't the two Kingdoms involved in a terrible war? Why were they being nice to him?

"Did I miss something?"

"This one's been hit over the head too many times," Rinkah said, crossing her arms.

"Please, come with us," Kaze continued, still bowing. "All will be explained."

Corrin wasn't sure if he could trust this people. It was him trusting people that had gotten him into a lot of trouble so far. But there was something about these people that made him want to trust them. And he was curious as to what exactly would be explained. There also didn't seem to be much of a choice. There was no way he could take both of them on while protecting Kamui.

"Very well," he said at last. "I will accompany you. And uh..you can...get up now."

* * *

It wasn't exactly a long trek, but it was still long enough to make Corrin tired. He hadn't eaten in a while and he had to carry his slumbering sister on his back the entire time. Kaze had asked if he wanted to let him carry Kamui, but Corrin outright refused to do so. He would carry her through the desert if he had to.

One thing he had discovered while walking with Rinkah and Kaze was that they both had accents. Could they speak another language? Leo had once told him there were hundreds of languages in the world, which fascinated Corrin to no end. Of course, he still only knew one language. Maybe he could ask Leo to teach him more...if he were to ever see him again, that is.

The group entered through some very elegantly designed gates, passing by guards who were on duty. They were speaking to each other in words Corrin could not understand- it must be a different language. Corrin looked around in amazement. There were large trees with pink flowers, just like in the astral plane. Except these trees were much bigger. And they smelled...familiar. The sun was shining brightly, something Corrin still wasn't used to. He wished Kamui could be awake to see this.

As they approached and entered a large castle, Corrin grew more and more nervous. He still didn't have a plan for escaping. He wondered if there was someway to contact Lilith. Maybe she could help him out again?

The group finally made their way into what appeared to be a throne room. It was very grand, much like the one in Castle Krakenberg. Standing there, with his arms crossed, was a tall man in red armor. His hair was brown, long and spikey. He looked to be an important person, especially since Kaze bowed upon entering. But Corrin wondered who told him that the red mask thingy on his face looked good.

"Welcome back Kaze, Rinkah," He said. Even his voice was important sounding, though Corrin noticed that he, too, has an accent. "Good work."

"Thank you, Lord Ryoma," Kaze replied.

"Lord Ryoma?" Corrin repeated.

"Mhm," Rinkah nodded her head. "This here is the high prince of Hoshido, Lord Ryoma."

"...I see." So he was like Xander. Corrin wondered if the two had ever met.

"Hmmm.." Ryoma stared at Corrin and Kamui, his arms crossed.

"Well?" Corrin stared right back at him. "Aren't you going to do it? You know...execute me?" Corrin's heart was beating fast. How was he gonna get himself and Kamui out of this mess?

Ryoma said nothing, as his attention was directed elsewhere. So was Kaze and Rinkah's. Corrin looked to his left and saw a tall woman dressed in white, with long black hair approaching them. She was admittedly very beautiful.

"I cannot believe it is really you," she said, her voice so soft and gentle that it startled Corrin. "Both of you are here…"

"Ummm...do we know each other?" What was with these people and acting as if they knew him?"

The woman looked as if she were about to cry. "Oh I've missed you so much, my dear Corrin!" She walked towards him and Corrin, surprised, took a few steps back. "My sweet children have finally come home to me!"

She embraced Corrin, though it was slightly awkward because Kamui was still on his back. Kaze swiftly stepped in and, within seconds, removed the slumbering princess from his back. Corrin stood there, not hugging the woman back as she squeezed him tighter. Did he hear what he thought he just heard?

"Your what?" He finally said. "Wh-what in god's name are you talking about? That's not possible!"

The beautiful woman pushed away from Corrin, looking sad. "Oh, my poor Corrin. It's a sad story. But first.."

She glanced over at her daughter. "Kaze, please get her medical attention immediately."

"Right away, milady." Kaze was gone within seconds.

Corrin's eyes widened. "My sister!" He frowned and glared at the black haired beauty. "Where did you take her?" If he had to take them all on, so be it.

"Corrin, please calm down," she looked at him with eyes of such sorrow that it made Corrin all the more confused. "She's being taken to where she will be given the medicine she needs."

"..." Corrin stared at her, still wide eyed.

"Please listen to what I'm about to tell you," The woman took a deep breath. "I know this may sound hard to believe. But when you and Kamui were just toddlers...you were abducted by forces from Nohr. I am your mother, Mikoto. And all this time-" her voice broke, as if she were about to cry. "I didn't know of I'd ever see you again!"

"But King Garon is my father," Corrin insisted. "None of what you're saying makes sense. You're confusing me."

"It must be quite the shock, but what she's saying is the truth," The prince, Ryoma, said. "I am your older brother, Ryoma."

"No!" Corrin took a few steps back. "No, no no you… Xander is my older brother! Leo, Camilla and Elise are my siblings…"

"Are those the Nohrian royals?" Ryoma asked. "They aren't your real family. Trust me. I still remember the day you were taken. In those days, there was a lot of tension between Hoshido and Nohr, but not a full out war. The war didn't start until King Garon lured our father, King Sumeragi, to his death in Cheve. And to make matters even worse, he kidnapped you and Kamui."

"No," Corrin whispered. "That's just not possible.."

"You really don't remember any of this?" Ryoma asked. "Nothing?"

"No," Corrin replied. "I really only have the vaguest memories from my early childhood. But, there are times when I can sense things below the surface. A blurry image. Like...a stone at the bottom of the lake, shimmering and ethereal."

If what they said was true, then Corrin supposed it might explain some things. Why Garon was always so distant from him and Kamui as kids. Why he seemed to love Xander, Camilla, Leo and Elise more. Why he rarely ever received praise from him. Any praise had a double meaning.

"Well, I can't imagine the Nohrian royals would share much of their past with you," said Ryoma. "And I know this is a lot to take in."

If he had a tomato for everytime he had thought those same exact words, Leo would be more than just a little jealous. He glanced at the woman, who was smiling at him softly and the man who called himself his brother, Ryoma.

"My actual...family…" He said slowly. "Soo...you're not going to kill me?"

Mikoto and Ryoma laughed.

"Of course not, Corrin," said Mikoto.

Suddenly, a guard rushed towards the group frantically. He spoke in a language Corrin didn't understand, though everyone else was listening intently.

"What?" Ryoma said. As the guard and Ryoma held conversation, the only words that stood out were 'Hinoka' and 'Sakura.' Were those the names of people?

"Corrin," Ryoma said, bringing the pointy eared prince back to attention. "Come with me. I want you to see the truth or your very own eyes."

He gulped. The truth? Things seemed as if they could only get worse from here.

* * *

 **Well guys. I know I kinda stuck to the gameplay in this chapter, but I did try to change some things up. We have to get through this boring chapters before the real action starts! And I told you all that I'd have the next chapter up soon! I don't know if that'll ever happen again. Please review, please please please review! I need to know what you guys think! Constructive criticism is nice, scary, but nice and much appreciated! Thank you.**


	8. The Rescue

_Quick recap:_

" _Corrin," Ryoma said, bringing the pointy eared prince back to attention. "Come with me. I want you to see the truth or your very own eyes."_

 _He gulped. The truth? Things seemed as if they could only get worse from here._

* * *

"Wait."

Ryoma looked at Corrin in surprise. "Bro-"

"No," Corrin frowned. "We're not doing this. So much has already happened to me today. Look, I've had a fair share of betrayals. And… and although I want to believe you, I can't say that I truly do. I'm sorry but you're asking too much of me."

"Brother, " Ryoma began, again. Corrin winced at the use of the word for it now seemed alien to him. "I understand that to you, we are all strangers from a foreign land. However, time is of the essence. You must come with me so that you can see the truth with your own eyes. You deserve to know of your birth right."

The high prince's words were serious and urgent, yet when Corrin looked him in the eye he could see all too clearly the sorrow hidden in them. Not only did sorrow fill his gaze, but great worry and pain as well. There was no way that a stare such as the one he was receiving could ever be faked; not even the greatest of liars could put on a mask of such raw emotion. It was strange-for some reason, he felt as though Xander had given him this exact same look in the past. Or maybe in a dream? But the memory of it felt distant and unclear. However one thing was for certain: Ryoma had no intention of deceiving him.

"But what truth do you want me to see?" Corrin asked.

"The extent of Nohr's horrific ways," His supposed brother replied.

 _'Sometimes actions speak louder than words..'_

Gunter's words echoed through his mind. Corrin clenches his fists, remembering that his dear friend had died at the hands of a traitor. One that was supposedly following his father's orders. Maybe it would be wise to make the journey with Ryoma.

"Okay, I'll go with you," He said. "On the condition that when we return, all is explained to me in great, _specific_ detail." And then he needed to take a nap or something. He was receiving so much information but had very little time to interpret it.

Ryoma nodded his head. "Of course, I wouldn't have it any other way."

Mikoto took this moment to grab Corrin's hands in her own. "I understand that this might be a lot of information for you to take in. And you're still so young and sweet, my precious child.. But I promise that it will all make sense soon."

Her voice cracked, and as the two stared at each other Corrin began to feel uncomfortable. This woman was giving him a glance full of so much agony that it almost hurt to maintain eye contact. What was he to do? He didn't have any reason to believe she was his real mother. He didn't have any real reason to _disbelieve_ her either. He didn't know what was true at this point. He truly wished that he could be given more time to properly access everything. Corrin was lost. Here he was, thrown into a situation where he had to make all the calls. Once again, he felt like falling down. Or running away. Anything to get away.

But he had to find answers. Right now, the only thing he could really trust was his guts. And have they ever failed him before?

"I hope so, m-mother," he stammered awkwardly in reply.

Strange. He'd never callen anyone 'mother' before. The word felt odd coming from his mouth. Unfamiliar, really.

Mikoto gave him a kind smile, though it was not reflected in her eyes. She stepped back. "I wish you both safe travels. Bring them home."

"We will, mother," Ryoma said. "I promise."

As the two rushed to leave, Kaze and Rinkah on their trail, Corrin looked back and gave the guard the meanest glare he could muster.

"My sister better be safe and in one piece by the time I get back, or _else_ ," he snapped at the guard before he and the others finally disappeared.

The guard had nodded in understanding, though was confused as to why the white haired prince has given him such an ugly look. It was as if his face wasn't used to making such an expression.

* * *

"If only my sister were here. I would appreciate her words of advice."

Queen Mikoto sat in an exocticly designed chair next to a large bed. On the bed was the sleeping princess of Nohr: Kamui. After receiving careful medical attention, Mikoto had been informed that her daughter was given an extremely high dosage of what appeared to be a sleeping potion. Whoever had given it to her had to be highly was not a potion that could easily be dealt in battle. The enemy had to have given it to her consistently, over a period of time, and under the disguise of food or a beverage. Mikoto was told that Kamui would most likely not awaken for another two days, at the most.

This unsettled the Queen. This meant that there must be some type of spy, or group of spies, in Garon's midst, who wanted her babies dead.

But if that were true, it wouldn't surprise her.

Mikoto gave a quiet sigh. She placed a hand on Kamui's bed as memories began, as they always do, flooding back.

"You know, before you were born, your father and everyone else, even my sister, thought I would have twin boys," Mikoto told the sleeping beauty with a fond smile on her face. "And your father… he was so excited. More than I was, I would argue."

They were so happy then. She and her husband. Even now, she could never quite understand what he saw in her. She was a peasant; a simple farm girl who knew nothing outside of the realm of her own home. She couldn't even begin to compete with the many girls that vied for his attention.

Yet he still chose her.

"When I went into labor with you and your brother, I was told that you might not make it," Mikoto continued on, though she shuddered at the memory. "They said that even if you were not stillborn, you would die in potentially three days. But I had a vision that you would come through. And here you are, years later, my beautiful survivor."

After 17 intense hours of labor, Kamui had come out first, a small sickly thing. She was breathing heavily, and shaking, but she was alive. Nine minutes later, a healthy baby Corrin followed.

"Although you came out a girl, your father was still so happy to see you. He stayed up with you and Corrin for days, to make sure you were both in perfect health. We were both so surprised at how quickly you were able to recover from the illness that plagued you at childbirth. I suppose your recovery was due to your ancestral background."

A background that she had yet to tell them about. One that would take some time to explain, time that she feared she did not have. Mikoto reached out and ran her fingers through Kamui's hair. Somehow, someway, they would learn the truth.

"We could tell you were both going to be so strong," Mikoto continued on. "And even as babies, you two had such different personalities. Corrin cried every hour of the day. He constantly wanted to be fed, or needed to be changed. Your father would joke and say that he only ever did it for attention sometimes."

She giggled at the memory of her husband's disheveled face when Corrin had, for the third time one particular night, began crying.

"And you? You were so sweet and quiet as a baby. You rarely ever made a fuss."

It was truly a blessing, especially in the wake of Corrin's constant screaming.

"But you were so mean when it came to mealtime. Corrin loved to eat. I believe that was his favorite thing to do," She laughed again. "And you? You refused to eat if I wasn't the person giving you the food. You never let your father feed you anything. I recall that once, you even threw some food back at him and pouted. You were so mean to him! But he still loved you."

He loved them. In the span of a year, he managed to balance devoting himself to his family and to his Kingdom. He was the strongest man she had ever known, and as much as he loved her, she loved him.

And then there was betrayal and fires, the clanging of swords, screaming, and death everywhere. It all came crumbling down before her very eyes. The place that she used to call home, the family she'd once cared for, everything was destroyed.

Tears fell from her eyes as she remembered the heartache of leaving her kingdom behind. The days afterwards were spent in secrecy, in an attempt to reach a safer haven. Those were the days that Kamui's cries nearly outweighed Corrin's.

"When it happened, I fought to give you and Corrin a safer home," Mikoto said through her tears. "The three of us nearly died several times, but I pushed through because nobody would hurt you without getting away with it. And I had to do things that I'm not proud of."

She held a hand up to her mouth as the tears came down a lot faster. She was so overcome with emotion that she could barely speak in a comprehensive language. It was times like this where she wish she could speak in her native language. But it was forbidden.

"When Sumeragi took us under his wing, I believed it to be over. Never again would we have to face that type of pain. You two had four new siblings and another loving father figure. No more war. No more madness."

Mikoto stood, then, and moved her hands to Kamui's forehead, and wiped away her bangs. She stared at her forehead, her tears dripping onto Kamui's skin.

"But here we are, years later. Sumeragi, gone. Two more kingdoms being driven to madness. My children, taken from me as five year olds. And my sweet child, my beautiful daughter...with a brand on her forehead. The brand of a slave."

* * *

The march towards their destination was a long and vigorous one. The terrain they were traveling in was snowy and windy. Although these were normal conditions back in Nohr, Corrin was not exactly used to trudging through several inches of snow to save two people he didn't even know.

And clearly, he was the only inexperienced one here. Ryoma forged on, taking the lead, as if he weren't even affected by the cold. Corrin wondered how he could even move with the heaviness of his armor. He was really starting to resemble Xander, in terms of will power. Xander was the only other person he knew that could march through this type of weather with such energy.

Well maybe Kamui could too. She was good at marching through tough terrains, or so he's heard.

Kaze never made a sound as he walked. In fact, he barely left behind footprints; and if he did, they were scattered. He wore the exact same expression that he wore when Corrin had first met him as a prisoner. In his honest opinion, Corrin did not believe this man to be human.

The only person displaying emotion, other than himself, was Rinkah. Her teeth were chattering, and her arms were wrapped around herself in an attempt to keep warm. She seemed, to put it bluntly, pissed. She always looked as though she was fired up about something, and Corrin didn't understand why. But he wasn't about to ask. She had a quick temper and he really wasn't in the mood for that.

Then there was a small group of soldiers who followed behind them. They were all visibly cold, but their faces remained blank and generic. They were a backup force, in case the main force needed assistance.

The entire area had a strange smell to it. Wrinkling his nose, he wondered if anyone else could detect the smell. It wasn't necessarily disgusting; it more so smelled familiar.

There was nothing but silence as they marched. The only time words were ever said, they were spoken in a language that Corrin could not comprehend. It frustrated him to no end. He wanted to be able to understand this new, foreign language. He probably should have paid more attention when Gunter tried teaching him bits and pieces of it.

Gunter.

How he missed his old friend. Gunter was really his only father figure, since his actual father rarely came by for a visit. He was the kindest yet grumpiest old man he knew. Not a single day went by where he wasn't reprimanded by him, or given more of his boring advice. And now he was gone.

"Corrin."

Ryoma's deep voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He glanced over at the heavily armored man.

"Yes?"

"We are here."

And they were. In the distance, Corrin could make out the moving bodies of what appeared to be very muscular men. However, the wind was making it slightly difficult to clearly see their faces.

"The enemy that we are up against… they are called Faceless," Ryoma explained. "They are not human. They are the product of dark Nohrian magic." He said the word "Nohrian" as if it were the most disgusting thing in the world. "And they have this area surrounded."

Corrin had heard of Faceless before. He recalled hearing of them, briefly, from Leo. This would be his first time encountering any, however. The prince pulled out the sword, the same one Garon had given him, and nodded his head.

"Okay, so what do you need for me to do?"

"Myself and a few of my guards will charge ahead. Stay close to Rinkah and Kaze. You three will make up the middle force. The rest of the soldiers will occupy the rear end. Is that clear?"

"Crystal."

Ryoma repeated these directions back to the rest of the soldiers in his native language. They replied, in unison, in that same language. Once this was made clear, the group took charge.

"Be careful," Ryoma called back to Corrin's group. "This is a treacherous region for battle. Make sure you're looking around for any troublesome areas."

And with that, he and his squad were off, leaving Corrin with Rinkah and Kaze.

"Do you even know how to fight?" Rinkah asked, once Ryoma was out of earshot.

Corrin frowned at her. "Did you forget that we fought back at Castle Krakenburg?"

"No, I didn't forget," Rinkah grimaced at the memory. "But you had the help of your servants. This time, they're not around to help you. So you'd best be on your guard."

Well, she did have a point.

"My friends," he corrected her as they trudged on. "I had the help of my friends."

"Look, up ahead, " Kaze interrupted their conversation. "It seems as though there is a village there. We must warn them of the impending danger."

Corrin was on it before even Kaze managed to finish his sentence. He raced towards the small village and arrived within seconds. Tentatively, he knocked on the door. A surprised, old man greeted him. He looked Corrin up and down. Then he began speaking in an incomprehensible language.

"Uhhh…"

How was he supposed to warn this man?

"Danger. Big, scary monsters!" Corrin longly enunciated each word. He held up his arms and made large circles, to show how large the monsters were.

The man was now looking at him as if he'd lost his mind.

"You!" Corrin pointed at the man. "Stay inside. INSIDE." He pointed towards the village and gave a thumbs up. "The outside is BAD. Don't go outside!" He gestured towards the snowy outside and shook his head no.

The old man continued to stare, and Corrin couldn't exactly read his expression but he hoped he was doing a good job of explaining.

"Me," Corrin pointed at himself. "GOOD guy." He smiled, then, and gave a thumbs up. How much clearer could he get?

The stranger tilted his head, before giving Corrin an amused smile. "Thank you for the warning, my boy. My people will heed it. However, it's too cold outside for you to not be wearing shoes. Would you like to try to a pair of my grandson's? I believe they should fit."

Corrin stared at the old man. This entire time, he could understand him, but chose not to say anything. He probably looked like a clown.

The old man chuckled. "No? Well please, in exchange for your kindness, take this." From the folds of his robe, he pulled out an object unfamiliar to Corrin. "I hope this Goddess Icon will offer you some sort of protection."

He placed the object into Corrin's hands.

"T-Thank you," Corrin managed to sputter out. He opened his mouth to say something else, preferably to mention why the old man let him make a fool of himself, when a hideous roar interrupted his line of thought.

Instincts kicking in, Corrin pushed the old man inside and shut the door. He turned around, and was shocked to see a monster much bigger than anything he'd ever seen before, hovering over Rinkah. Two of them to be exact. Meanwhile, Kaze was occupied with a Faceless of his own.

Now was the time in which Corrin had to put his training to good use. There would be no more fainting in the middle of combat. There were people depending on him. With a deep breath, the prince pulled out Ganglari. This fight,he decided, would be a testament of his strength. With that thought in mind,he ran towards Rinkah, deciding that she needed more help.

One of the monsters roared and took a swing at the woman. She managed to dodge the attack, however, the second faceless creature dove in and struck her. Rinkah cried out in pain, but delivered a blow to the first faceless. The monster was hurt, but her strike did not bring him down.

Corrin rushed towards the uninjured faceless.

"Rinkah, I've got your back!" Corrin cried.

Adrenaline coursing through his veins, he wildy swung Ganglari at the monster. The Faceless didn't seem to have a very high intelligence level; he stumbled backwards as Corrin continued his plow forward. Eventually, Corrin was able to land a strike on the beast. With a loud cry, the beast raised its fists and brought them down on the albino prince.

"Woa!"

Corrin dove out of the way just in time. He fell onto the snowy ground. The monster took advantage of this and began continuously bringing his fists down upon Corrin. However, Corrin's instincts were quicker and he managed to roll away each time.

"Man, you're not the most pleasing thing to look at…" He grumbled in between rolls.

This statement earned him another roar. The monster put both his fists together and brought them down, this time in an attempt to end Corrin's life. Just barely dodging, at a speed he didn't know he possessed, Corrin managed to back flip onto his feet. He then stabbed the Faceless in the chest just as it was lunging towards him. With a horrible cry, the Faceless's entire body began to shake. Corrin could only watch on in shock. It's body began slowly disintegrating until, finally, it was reduced to ashes.

Corrin's mouth hung open as he stared at the spot the Faceless once stood in. Suddenly, a feeling of giddiness flooded his body.

"I… I did it," He muttered to himself. He held his hands up, clenched his fists, and smiled. "I finally took one of these things down! Yes! It's about time!"

Because he was so wrapped up in his victorious moment, Corrin didn't notice the creature looming behind him. With a hard swing, the Faceless knocked the poor prince back into the ground. Groaning in agony, the prince silently yelled at himself in his head for being so quick to let down his guard.

"HYUAH!"

The sound of a weapon making contact with flesh made Corrin look up just in time to see Kaze take down the hideous beast. The ninja was quick to be by his side.

"Are you alright, Lord Corrin?" He asked.

"Oh I'm doing just fine," Corrin slurred.

"Here, maybe this will help," Kaze pulled out a small container. "I thought that you might need to use this vulnery eventually."

Corrin gratefully accepted the gift, and drank part of it. Seemingly instantly, his back pain went away. Kaze helped the shoeless man onto his feet.

"We must be more careful, Lord Corrin," Kaze said. "These beasts will not hesitate to strike."

"I knew he'd mess up somehow."

Corrin sighed. He knew that feminine voice by heart already.

Rinkah walked towards the duo with her club on her right shoulder. She left arm was dripping with blood, but she either didn't notice or didn't care.

"You gotta stay on your toes," Rinkah said. "Or else you'll die."

Corrin sighed again. "I know, I know. I-"

Before Corrin could even finish his sentence, the ground began to shake. The trio looked around just in time to witness a group of hills disintegrate before their very ideas. Alongside this, the snow in the area began to melt. The event was clearly Ryoma's doing, as he was standing in a field of light. Faceless near him were killed right on the spot.

"Is that… was that the power of a Dragon Vein?" Corrin wondered aloud. He had been wondering what that familiar smell was. That must be it.

"To harness the ancient dragon power is truly a magnificent gift," said Kaze. ""Yet I wonder if even the royals who wield that power can control it. Still, the use of Dragon Veins might be the key to this rescue."

Nodding her head at Kaze, Rinkah turned to Corrin. "Maybe now is a good time to catch up to Prince Ryoma. We're done here, and, though I doubt it, he might need our help."

Corrin nodded his head in agreement. "You're right. Lets go."

* * *

"HAHHH!"

A small woman with short, bright red hair dug her weapon into the chest of yet another Faceless beast. As they all do when they die, the monster disintegrated. However, the woman's troubles were far from over. Another Faceless slowly approached her, and in the distance she could count another two coming. The woman sighed and wiped the sweat from her forehead. Despite it being cold outside, she was being pushed to extremes in order to get herself, her pegasus, and her little sister to safety.

Said little sister stood a short distance behind her, favoring her right leg over her left. Her pink hair flowed in the wind and her cheeks had turned a rosy red from the cold. Clinging on tightly to her staff, she gave her the red head a worried glance.

"Hinoka, I'm so sorry," The pinkette spoke. "I-I know I'm slowing us down with this sprained ankle of mine. But my staff is broken… there's really not much I can do."

"Not to worry, Sakura," Hinoka responded, her eyes trained on the still approaching Faceless. "We're going to be okay. These stupid beasts don't stand a chance against me!"

With those words spoken, the redhead lunged towards the roaring monster with fury. She managed to land a decent hit, but neither her nor her pegasus could dodge the monster's next attempt. It's punch caught her in her stomach, right as she was flying towards him to deal the final blow, knocking her off the horse.

"Hinoka!" Sakura cried in worry.

"Stay back, Sakura!" Hinoka yelled in reply. Although the blow to her stomach was taking a toll on her, Hinoka ignored the pain and stood to her feet. She charged at the monster, spear in hand. The monster waited for her with raised fists, and when she got near, it swung at her. Expecting this, the woman dove underneath the beast and slid between its legs.

"HUAH!"

With a battle cry, she stuck the spear into the area where the monster's genital regions would be. The monster reared its ugly head back and roared in pain, before it's body began falling apart. Hinoka crawled out of the way, just in time to greet her loyal pegasus. She leaned against the majestic beast, one hand holding on to her spear, and the other wrapped around her stomach. Breathing heavily, she could see that the two Faceless from earlier were gaining ground. She sighed in frustration.

She had been doing this for what seemed like hours, and still these monsters refused to back off. Her head had blood dripping down the side, her lip was probably busted, and now she had a stomach injury. She was tired, and truthfully speaking, she wished she could just stop and give up.

But that wasn't an option. It was never an option. She had to get Sakura back home safely to mother. She had to see the faces of her loving siblings and her people again.

And dammit, she still hasn't given up on storming every inch of Nohr to sage her long lost twin siblings. That was a promise she still had to keep. Even with the odds stacked against her, as a princess of Hoshido, she would fight to the end.

"Sakura, when I take these two monsters down, I need for you to climb onto my pegasus. That's the only way we'll be able to escape."

"B-But what about you?" Sakura asked, worry evident in her voice. "Are you going to be alright, fighting on the ground? You're already so injured."

"Of course I am!" Hinoka gave her a smile. "It takes a lot to take your big sister down. Don't you worry about me. We need to get you to a nice, warm place."

"Hinoka…" Sakura didn't sound too convinced of her sister's bravado. She went on to continue speaking, but was interrupted by the sudden shaking of the ground. The sisters looked around themselves in confusion. In the distance, Hinoka could make out what appeared to be more figures running in their direction. But they didn't look to be more Faceless.

"Reinforcements must be here," Hinoka realized. "The ground shaking… I remember that there were a few Dragon Veins around… either Takumi or Ryoma must be here!"

"Our brothers are here? Now they can save us!" Sakura clapped her hands in excitement.

"Help us, not save us," Hinoka corrected her. Because she was doing a lot of the butt kicking too, so neither of her brothers were about to receive all the credit.

Still, she was enthusiastic about their arrival too. While she was happy, she knew she had a lot of work to do. As the two Faceless finally arrived, Hinoka climbed atop her pegasus and readied her weapon.

* * *

"Hold strong sisters I'm coming for you!" Prince Ryoma cried, plunging his sword into yet another Faceless's chest.

The few men that he had taken with him were struggling to defeat the Faceless. Because of this, they were slowing Ryoma down more so than they were pushing him forward. But the high prince of Hoshido was not angry. He knew that these were new recruits, and this was a good learning experience for them.

However, he needed to get to his sisters before it was too late. Therefore, he had to take matters into his own hands.

In the Hoshidan language, he commanded his troops to fall back. They were to assist Corrin, Kaze and Rinkah if they needed it. Meanwhile, he would surge forward and defeat the remaining Faceless; namely the chief.

Although it was clear that his men did not want to leave him, they had no choice but to obey his orders. They fell back, leaving the samurai to fend for himself. He could clearly see his sisters up ahead. Hinoka was fighting off the enemies, while Sakura held her staff close. Ryoma was proud of how hard the princess was working to keep her sister safe. But it was clear to him that she was short of breath.

"Worry no more, sisters," He muttered to himself. "We will get through this."

Ryoma's use of the Dragon Vein took the monsters' attention off his sisters and put them onto him. All according to plan. Mentally,he counted how many were left in his head. There were two Faceless headed towards Hinoka and Sakura. Meanwhile, the last four, including what looked to be their boss, were stomping towards him.

Ryoma held Raijinto in front of him closely and eyed the enemy. He would have to plan this carefully. The leader would be the hardest to take out, so he would leave him for last. Or maybe it would be smarter to take him on first. After all, if the general falls then so does the rest of the army. But the leader had three Faceless protecting him. Ryoma would just have to power through them in order to get to the boss.

The prince began to formulate a strategy, quickly in his head. When he finally came to a decision on what to do, he crouched low into a fighting position. He could feel the electricity of Raijinto's powers coursing through him. The High Prince had used the weapon more times than he could remember; yet the feeling of the blade's power never ceased to amaze him.

But he had no time to marvel at Raijinto's strength. Taking a silent, deep breath, the samurai watched as the Faceless edged closer and closer. He waited as they approached.

' _Any second now… '_ He thought to himself.

But before he could formulate another thought, he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. He turned his head and was shocked to see Corrin dashing towards him. Rinkah and Ksze were right on his tail. If they weren't in the midst of battle, Ryoma would probably have time to ponder how Corrin hadn't received frostbite from running in _below zero_ weather with no shoes on.

"Brother, what are you doing?" Ryoma asked as Corrin slid to a stop next to him. "I told you to stay closer to the middle."

"But the Faceless are mostly gathered up here," Corrin replied. "I figured you could use the extra hand."

Ryoma frowned. "I appreciate your effort, brother, but-"

Suddenly the biggest of the Faceless let out a mighty roar. This, in turn, caused the other Faceless to let piercing shrieks of their own. Ryoma and Corrin's argument would just have to wait.

"So that's the big boss, huh?" Corrin held Ganglari carefully in his hands.

Ryoma thought quickly.

"Corrin, listen to me carefully," He began. "Rinkah, Kaze and I will deal with these last four. While they are distracted, you run ahead and help those women ahead finish off the last two. Understood?"

Corrin did not know who the women up ahead were, but they looked to be gravely injured and tired. He nodded his head at his "brother."

"Got it."

"Alright then," Ryoma got back into a fighting stance. Rinkah and Kaze followed suit. "For Hoshido!"

With this war cry, he and the other two dove into action. While the Faceless were distracted, Corrin raced around the fight and headed straight towards the two in danger.

* * *

"Sister!" Sakura cried in worry as Hinoka was, once again, struck by a Faceless monster.

The pegasus knight huffed in frustration. "Worry not sister. Whatever you do, stay near my pegasus."

The two Faceless monsters had been steadily closing in on them. Hinoka was less worried about herself, and more worried about her little sister taking damage from one of them. She had to figure out how she was going to get them both out of danger.

Hinoka jumped out of the way as the Faceless lashed at her, again. It was becoming harder to land attacks when her left eye had taken quite the hit. Her vision was blurred slightly. Still, she had to push on.

With all her energy, Hinoka lunged at one of the Faceless with her spear in hand. Omitting a battle cry, Hinoka wildly swung and managed to stab the monster in it's chest. This was the only blow needed to take the beast down, as it roared in pain and disintegrated. Hinoka watched the swirling vortex of purple clouds surround her spear, before it eventually disappeared. The princess gave a tired huff.

"Another one down." She muttered.

She didn't have time to celebrate. A startled yelp from behind caused the red head to turn her head. The other Faceless had snuck away from her, and was closing in on her poor little sister.

"Sakura!" Hinoka hurriedly turned to reach her, but tripped and landed in the snow. A large jolt of pain came from her ankle. The area was twisted, scratched up, and badly swollen. The red head struggled to push herself up but cried out in pain; the wounds that covered her body had decided to showcase themselves.

"Sakura, run away!" Hinoka cried out desperately. "Get on my pegasus and fly away!"

Her younger sister was hurriedly trying to obey Hinoka's orders, and get away. But said pegasus had, too, been through a rough day. She was too tired to lift her wings and make a speedy getaway. The beast could only stand in front of Sakura in the hopes of protecting her. The pegasus growled and nipped at the monster as he approached Sakura.

"Sakura!" Hinoka struggled to lift herself, but found that even her arms were giving in on her.

"B-Big sister!" Sakura stuttered in fear. "I-I can't le-leave you behind!"

It had seemed as though all hope was lost. The enemy was closing in on Sakura, and Hinoka could barely push herself up from the ground. The wounds from a long day of battle were finally setting in. Her body was screaming with pain, but she chose to ignore it in the hopes of reaching her sister.

"Please, oh gods, pease, give me strength," The red head whispered to herself, feeling the sudden urge to cry. "I can't, please, not my Sakura. I have to… I have to sav-"

"HUAAAAAAH!"

From seemingly nowhere, a figured literally rolled onto the scene with a battle cry that practically shook the ground. He caught everyone, including the Faceless beast, by surprise. Using that to his advantage, the white haired man quickly jabbed his sword into the monster's cheek. Said creature roared in pain, stepping back to tend to the new wound. However, the hero didn't let up. He slashed at the beast, twice more, in the chest. The man swung so fast, the beast could hardly keep up.

"You'll bring these women no more pain!" The man cried, and delivered the final blow. He pierced the Faceless in its throat.

With a gargled cry, the beast's body shook as it succumbed to a quickly disappearing, purple dust.

Hinoka, Sakura, and even Hinoka's pegasus stared at the new figure in shock. The man was doing some sort of… strange victory dance.

"I did it!" He cried. "I took down another one of those brutes!"

Hinoka was nearly at a loss for words. She had never seen this man in the Hoshidan army, nor had she ever heard word of a Nohrian soldier with his description. There was no way that he was a commoner, or even a bandt. His armor seemed to be made from the finest of materials. Despite her not recognizing this figure, he seemed almost familiar.

"No more passing out on the battlefield," The stranger continued talking to himself. He put his sword over his shoulder confidently. "I think I've got this."

Hinoka let out a large sigh. At the very least her sister was safe, thanks to the help of this new person. But this was still not good. Had this person not been here, who knows what would have happened? This was further proof that Hinoka needed to get stronger. She needed to learn how to push past her limits. Otherwise, she'll never get better. How else can she protect the Kingdom of Hoshido? Or her little sister, or even the rest of her family? At this rate, she might not even be powerful enough to bring back her younger twin sib-

"Hey, are you alright?".

Hinoka's thoughts were interrupted by the very person who just saved their lives. He was standing above her, with his hands on his knees, peering down at her. She was startled, not just by how quickly he walked up to her, but by the deep redness of his eyes.

"Yes, I'm-"

Hinoka gave a yelp as she felt pain resonate throughout her body. Clearly, she wasn't as alright as she was trying to make it seem.

"Woah, take it easy!" The stranger knelt down beside her. "Here, maybe this thingy will help?

He pulled out a small container that Hinoka recognized to be a vulnery. Before he could take anymore actions, however, Hinoka's pegasus head butted against his side. With a loud 'oof' the white haired stranger fell into the snow. His vulnery fell out of his hands and landed beside the red haired princess. Hinoka's pegasus snorted and protectively stood in front of Hinoka. Sakura wasn't too far behind, and she knelt beside Hinoka worridely.

"B-Big sister, are you okay?" Sakura asked. Noticing the vulnery, she picked it up and began applying it to the smaller wounds on her arms. "I hppe this helps."

"What was that for?"

The sisters looked over in the direction that their new companion had fallen. He was rubbing his side grouchily, and pouting.

"I was just trying to help," He complained.

"Sorry," Hinoka answered as Sakura continued to treat her wounds to the best of her ability. "My pegasus is just on edge and she's very protective of me."

Said majestical beast snorted and stomped her foot.

The stranger sighed and hugged his knees, staring down at the ground. It was then that Hinoka noticed that this person wasn't wearing shoes. Were they crazy? It was literally _snowing_.

"T-Thank you so much for s-s-saving us," Sakura told the newcomer as politely as she could.

"It was no problem. I would have done it even if Ryoma hadn't asked me to," The white haired male replied. "He should be catching up to us soon."

"So i-its true! Our big brother i-i-is coming!" Sakura exclaimed.

At this point, Hinoka couldn't tell if her stuttering was due to the problem she's had since childhood, or because of how cold it was.

"Ryoma is your older brother?" The stranger scratched his head. "Well then I guess him wanting me to come makes even more sense."

The white haired male snapped his head in the direction of the sisters so fast, that it startled them both.

"Maybe I should introduce myself? My name is Corrin. And I'm, supposedly your brother? I guess?"

* * *

 **A/N: I guess I have a lot of pms to answer… and a lot of explaining to do, don't I? I hope yall are still interested, because my mind has come up with so many more ideas since the start of this story. So much so that I might actually make another version of this story, once I am finished with this one. I do not want to let on to too much, but the other version would include the Fire Emblem: Awakening crew. That's all I'm gonna say for now. Prepare for more angst. Stay tuned for more!**


End file.
